AZ-Josephine+Canyon


 * =Birding in Arizona=

Santa Cruz County
=Josephine Canyon= Coronado National Forest Tubac, Arizona 85646 Josephine Canyon Trail webpage Josephine Canyon map

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Josephine Canyon
Coordinates: 31.6464785, -110.8764757 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Josephine Canyon
This trail not only provides a great hike or ride, but the drive to the trailhead is well worth taking in its own right. That drive leads through a scenic countryside steeped in history that’s dotted with ranches, mines, and ghost towns. The temptation is great to do a lot of exploring along the way, but the signs that tell you not to trespass are serious. Look and enjoy and keep on driving. Once you get to the Josephine Canyon Trail you should really be primed for a great trip, and you won’t be disappointed. The trail follows Josephine Creek for much of its journey, and if the creek is running you’ll be treated to waterfalls and cascades flowing through a riparian area lush with greenery. Keep an eye out for nature’s residents here. Deer are quite plentiful in the area and are usually very cooperative in remaining watchable. Other animals you might see among the grapevines and sycamores include javelina and coatimundi and, of course, the members of the diverse songbird population for which the Santa Ritas are famous. The trail steepens as the canyon climbs the mountainside, with an occasional switchback thrown in for good measure. Mt. Wrightson and Josephine Peak loom larger on the horizon as you get closer to them, while Mt. Hopkins with its observatory shining in the sun dominates the view to the west. As you near Josephine Saddle, turn around and look at the canyon you’ve just traveled; it frames good views of the Sonoita area and the Patagonia Mountains. Once you reach Josephine Saddle, you can choose from a number of trails that lead to the summit of Mt. Wrightson, into Madera Canyon or Temporal Gulch.

From 4th Avenue and AZ-82 in Patagonia drive north 2 blocks and turn left on Pennsylvania Avenue. Cross Sonoita Creek and continue west through the Nature Conservancy area to the National Forest boundary where the road you’re traveling becomes FR 143. Bear left on FR 143 at the Squaw Gulch intersection. Continue to Alto Townsite then beyond 2 more miles to a point where FR 143 turns left onto Bull Springs Road. Continue straight on FR 4082 about 2 miles to the trailhead. If you don’t have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, it may be best to walk these last two miles. From Josephine Canyon Trail webpage

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|| L2839648 US US-AZ US-AZ-023 31.6464785 -110.8764757 Josephine Canyon