KEY INFO
LOCATION Patagonia to Gardner Canyon Road (FR 92)
DISTANCE 22.3 miles one-way
DAY-TRIP OPTION See turnaround note in the trail description.
SHUTTLE RECOMMENDATION Temporal Gulch Trailhead (passage mile 7.0)
DIFFICULTY Strenuous
LAND MANAGER Coronado National Forest, Nogales Ranger District, www.fs.usda.gov/coronado, 520-281-2296
RECOMMENDED MONTHS March–November
GATEWAY COMMUNITIES See Patagonia and Sonoita.
GEOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS Not applicable
The first part of this passage follows Temporal Canyon Road, a graded-gravel road extending 7 miles north from Patagonia to the Temporal Gulch trailhead, then traces 6.1 miles of high-clearance doubletrack to the trailhead at Upper Walker Tank. Temporal Canyon Road offers outstanding views of the Santa Rita Mountains and surrounding grasslands. This passage starts in a grassland ecosystem and climbs through oak savannah to reach the thick oak–pine forest on the edge of the Mount Wrightson Wilderness.
Passages 4 and 5 offer an interesting contrast, as the route passes through remote, relatively untouched wilderness and then enters one of southern Arizona’s most productive former mining regions. The Greaterville Mining District, which the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) enters shortly after exiting the wilderness, drew hundreds of Mexican and U.S. prospectors after gold was discovered here in 1874. Interpretive signs describe the extensive water-diversion project that took water uphill from Gardner Canyon into Boston Gulch for high-pressure hydraulic mining. As is the nature of boom-and-bust operations, the mine failed soon after it was started.
The jewel of the trail user’s view of the Santa Rita Mountains is the Mount Wrightson Wilderness, whose summit rises to 9,453 feet. A side trip up this peak (although off the AZT) is incredible—there is nothing like standing on top of one of the most visible landmarks in southern Arizona. The rugged wilderness that surrounds the peak is home to rare birds and some plants that occur nowhere else north of Mexico.
In early spring, snow blankets the higher reaches of the AZT, making some hills difficult to traverse. Early-season travelers should wear sturdy boots, take their time on the snow, and travel with companions. Never underestimate the Santa Rita Mountains.
From the intersection of First Avenue and AZ 82 (Naugle Avenue), travel northwest along First Avenue for less than 1 mile (4,067 feet). Please respect private residences. After crossing a cattle guard at mile 0.5, the road turns to dirt. Avoid turning onto any side roads. At mile 0.8, the trail bends left, crosses a wash, and starts climbing. At a fork at mile 2, avoid a left turn to the landfill. In 0.4 mile, a sign indicates that you are on FR 72. The stony face of Mount Wrightson’s summit dominates the horizon directly in front of you.
Stay on the main graded dirt road. After you pass a sign indicating you are entering public lands, there are plenty of places to camp along the road. Pass a sign at mile 6.8 that says ARIZONA TRAIL TRAILHEAD ¼ MILE, avoiding a fork to the left. In 0.2 mile, cross a cattle guard and follow a right fork to the trailhead (mile 7). Motorists must have a four-wheel-drive vehicle to proceed beyond this point.
The granite crown atop Mount Wrightson (9,453 feet) remains in view for much of Passage 4.
Follow the road west through a small wash and then bend to the right to parallel the wash to the north. You may find water here during spring runoff. Just after the trail crosses the wash again, you’ll see several nice campsites. From here on, flat ground is rare, but you might improvise a camping spot at the Walker Basin Trailhead.
Brown carsonite posts mark the rest of the passage. Avoid the occasional fork, such as FR 72A or the singletrack Temporal Trail. You’ll reach a small parking area for the Walker Basin Trailhead. Walk the rocky road as it continues north into the Mount Wrightson Wilderness. Follow singletrack as it switchbacks up the lower reaches of Josephine Peak. The stunning views behind you reach far into Mexico and the myriad mountain ranges within Sonora.
The trail forks at a saddle (6,560 feet), where you might find a place to camp but no water. A metal sign labeled ARIZONA TRAIL marks this intersection, the high point of Passage 4.
TURNAROUND NOTE: If you’re just out for the day and have started near the Walker Basin Trailhead, this is a great spot to soak up the views and return to your vehicle.
To continue on the trail, turn 90 degrees to the right (east), and follow a side trail as it descends through several switchbacks into Big Casa Blanca Canyon. The trail meanders to the north and reaches the Tunnel Spring Trailhead and a dirt road (5,640 feet).
You soon pass the first of many interpretive signs describing the elaborate flume intended to transport water to Boston Gulch for gold mining in the early 1900s. Turn right (east) onto the road (FR 785), pass through a gate, continue 1.2 miles to a side road that breaks off sharply to the left (west), and turn onto it. This turn is easy to miss—there is a sign here, but it faces the opposite direction along the road. Cross the stream and pick up a clear singletrack turning back to the right (north). Follow this popular mountain bike segment across FR 785. After crossing a cow pasture, two gates, and a wash, you reach the road again; turn right (northeast), walk about 100 yards, and pick up the trail branching off to the left. Continue 0.3 mile to the Gardner Canyon Trailhead and the end of Passage 4.
Most of this passage is unsuitable for biking, unless you want to combine the northern part of it with the southern part of Passage 5. While you may ride the easy, then difficult 13.1-mile Temporal Canyon Road, bikes are prohibited north of Walker Basin Trailhead. Instead, skip this southern portion of the trail by biking (or driving and then biking) AZ 82 north to Sonoita. Turn left (north) onto AZ 83, ride about 1.3 miles, and turn left (west) onto FR 4104.
Ride about 7 miles on an occasionally difficult road to FR 785, turn left, and continue west less than 2 miles to a sign on the right that marks the AZT, at the Tunnel Spring Trailhead. From this point and north through Passage 5 to AZ 83 provides excellent, moderate singletrack riding. You can ride point-to-point by leaving a vehicle at one of the access points, or do an out-and-back from a particular trailhead. For detailed information about scenic mountain biking routes around wilderness areas, visit aztrail.org.
For the first 7 miles of Passage 4, the AZT follows a dirt road from the town of Patagonia into the dense forest of the Santa Rita Mountains.
Take AZ 82 to the town of Patagonia. At the north end of town, south of the high school, First Avenue heads northwest from the highway. The AZT follows First Avenue (later FR 72) for the next 7 miles before it becomes a rugged four-wheel-drive road.
Follow the same directions to Temporal Gulch Trailhead (above). From here, four-wheel-drive vehicles can continue 6.1 miles along very rough FR 72 to a small parking area at the trailhead.
If you want to hit the trail from here, please follow the trail description in reverse order. From Sonoita, follow AZ 83 north 4 miles, and turn left (west) onto Gardner Canyon Road (FR 92). Avoid turning onto any side roads. You reach the northern terminus for Passage 4, Gardner Trailhead (not to be confused with Gardner Canyon Trail, which is farther west), 5.5 miles from the highway on the right (north) side of the road. There is a large parking area here.
If you want to hit the trail from here, please follow the trail description in reverse order. From Sonoita, follow AZ 83 north 4 miles, and turn west (left) onto Gardner Canyon Road (FR 92). Avoid turning onto any side roads. You reach the Gardner Canyon Trail-head (the terminus for Passage 4), 5.5 miles from the highway on the right (north) side of the road. Continue another 0.8 mile and turn left (east) onto FR 785 at a sign for Gardner Canyon Trail. Continue 2.7 miles (crossing the AZT twice) to a small parking area at the Tunnel Spring Trailhead. The northbound trail continues down the road you just drove up. The southbound stretch heads into the trees to the southwest on singletrack.