AZ-Mt.+Graham--Ash+Creek+and+Columbine+area

Also, see Mt. Graham
 * =Birding in Arizona=

Graham County
=Mt. Graham= =Ash Creek and Columbine area= Coronado National Forest Pima, Arizona 85543 Mt. Graham webpage Mt. Graham--Ash Creek Trail webpage Mt. Graham--Ash Creek and Columbine area map

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Mt. Graham--Ash Creek/Columbine area
Coordinates: 32.7047973, -109.9137926 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Mt. Graham--Ash Creek and Columbine area
One of the Pinaleño range’s larger streams has carved the route for this popular trail. As it drops from alpine forest to desert valley, Ash Creek Trail passes through all of the varied life zones that find a home on this unique mountain. Such a diverse set of surroundings makes this an excellent trail for encountering some of the varied wildlife species that inhabit the Pinaleños. Black bear, mountain lion, both mule and white-tailed deer, javelina and coatimundi are just some of the animals you’re likely to encounter if you proceed slowly and quietly and keep a watchful eye. If you like to fish for trout, you’ll be interested to know that pools in the middle reaches of Ash Creek hold populations of native Apache trout. Ash Creek is not a large stream, so the fish are small, but they’re wild and feisty nevertheless. If you come with that in mind, you’ll enjoy the fact that they are quite a challenge to catch. Since this prominent drainage has long been used as a major travel route up the mountain, it has also accumulated a number of historic relics. Along the trail are remains of an old sawmill and a logging flume, as well as boilers for steam engines used by loggers. These rusty artifacts serve as evidence that this area was used for timber harvest before modern transportation methods made it cheaper to haul lumber from areas where it could be harvested more economically.

High elevation trailhead– From Safford drive 8 miles south on US-191 to the Swift Trail (AZ-366). Turn right (southwest) onto AZ-366 and continue 29 miles to the Columbine Visitor Information Station. Just past the Info Station and across the road are the Columbine public corrals and Ash Creek trailhead. Low elevation trailhead– From the town of Pima, drive south on Cluff Ranch Road. When you reach the entrance to Cluff Ranch, turn left. Cross the cattle guard, continue until you reach a 3-way intersection and turn left. Follow this road approximately 1 mile to the trailhead. From Mt. Graham--Ash Creek Trail webpage

About Mt. Graham
The Pinaleno Mountains are the most dominant mountain feature in southeastern Arizona, the towering range rising over 7,000 feet over the Gila River Valley and the cities of Safford, Thatcher, and Pima in Graham County. Mount Graham is the highest of the peaks that breach the 10,000-foot barrier, while nearby Hawk Peak is home to the Mount Graham Observatory, its buildings visible from below and even from vantage points on distant peaks. The whole range is often informally referred to as "Mount Graham".

The mountain is named for Lt. Col. James Duncan Graham of the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, the name being given to the mountain in 1846 by his friend, Lt. William Emory. At the time, the mountain was part of Mexico. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War, but the treaty gave the United States jurisdiction to lands north of the Gila River, not south. In 1854, the Gadsden Purchase extended the United States jurisdiction to its current-day boundary. Graham County is named after its most notable feature, the county being formed in 1881. Not surprisingly, Mount Graham is the highest point in Graham County, and somewhat surprisingly, it is also the most prominent mountain in Arizona, its 6,320 feet of prominence beating out Mount Humphreys near Flagstaff. Most people don't need the math to underscore the visual impressiveness of the mountain, as viewed from points around Safford. It is a huge, magnificent mountain. From Mt. Graham webpage

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|| L456900 US US-AZ US-AZ-009 32.7047973 -109.9137926 Mt. Graham--Ash Creek/Columbine area