AZ-Carr+Canyon--Comfort+Spring

Also see Carr Canyon
 * =Birding in Arizona=

Cochise County
=Carr Canyon--Comfort Spring= Hereford, Arizona 85615 Comfort Spring Trail webpage Comfort Spring Trail map Carr Canyon Road Scenic Drive webpage

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Carr Canyon--Comfort Spring
Coordinates: 31.4288359, -110.3095318 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About the Comfort Spring Trail
This trail departs from the Ramsey Vista Campground and follows a course that offers good views of upper Carr Canyon, with its weathered pinnacles and crinkled rock strata, and of upper Ramsey Canyon with its emerald green riparian area. The trail starts out through an old burn caused by a careless camper in 1977. Here, it wanders among stumps and rocks where there were once trees and flowery meadows. The wildflowers have started to come back and so have the trees, but this should give you some idea of how much damage can come from one moment of thoughtlessness. The trail enters the trees again at the edge of the burn just before it begins its drop into Ramsey Canyon. The old mining town of Hamburg was located in this canyon and you’ll see evidence of it and of the mines that supported it as you travel. Many hikers connect with the Hamburg Trail #122 and follow this trail all the way through to the Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Preserve (horses are not permitted within the Preserve). If you can arrange for someone to drive a shuttle for you and can be fairly accurate about how long it will take you to hike through, you can be picked up at the Nature Conservancy visitor center in Ramsey Canyon. Remember, you’ll need a free permit to cross Nature Conservancy property and an advance parking reservation if you intend to park a car at the Ramsey Canyon Preserve (520-378-2785). Another alternative, of course, is to turn around and hike back to where you started. A good way of doing that is to bring your backpacking gear and spend the night before making the return trip. From Comfort Spring Trail webpage

About Carr Canyon
If you look up at the Huachuca Mountains from the town of Sierra Vista, a band of sheer cliffs bends and curves across the face of the mountain range. The relatively flat area above is called the Carr Reef. In this case, however, the word “reef” doesn’t refer to coral and oceans. It harks back to an earlier time when it also meant a thick layer of exposed rock. While you’re looking at the Reef, you may also notice a tree-covered break in that impressive barrier, just south of a deep canyon. Look even closer and you should see a barely visible set of switchbacks climbing that slope. That is the Carr Canyon Road, the only road into the upper reaches of the Huachuca Range. This narrow, winding road was built at the turn of the century to open up the Carr Reef to gold and silver mining. It was reconstructed in the late 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The mines have come and gone, but the road persists with little change. The people who travel it, however, have changed considerably. Where hardy prospectors once searched for their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, outdoor recreationists and history buffs now travel the Carr Canyon Road to enjoy the splendid scenery and seek the flavor of the past. For them, the Carr Canyon Road provides the reward of extraordinary views of Sierra Vista, the San Pedro Valley, and a number of surrounding mountain ranges as it winds its way up the mountain. Since the road is so narrow, we recommend for safety that you use one of the pullouts along the road if you want to stop and enjoy the view. A forest recreation area stands in an area once occupied by the mining outpost of Reef. Here, you’ll find the Reef Townsite Loop Trail and two scenic forest campgrounds. From the Reef, the Carr Peak Trail #107 and Comfort Springs Trail #109 connect to an extensive network of trails that lead throughout the Huachuca Range.

Directions: Tucson, travel east on I-10 to AZ-90 (exit 302). Turn south and drive 33 miles on AZ 90 through Sierra Vista to the Carr Canyon Road. Turn right and drive 7 miles up the mountain. The last 5 miles are dirt.

Panoramic views. Historic mining district. Camping and picnicking. Self-guided interpretive trail. Hiking and horseback trails.Season: Year long, but the road may occasionally be closed due to snow. Road Conditions: The first mile or so is paved; the rest is dirt and suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles. The switchbacks are narrow and steep with no guard rails. No motor homes on this one. From Carr Canyon Road Scenic Drive webpage

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|| L128936 US US-AZ US-AZ-003 31.4288359 -110.3095318 Carr Canyon--Comfort Spring