AZ-Mt.+Graham--Clark+Peak

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

Graham County
=Mt. Graham= =Clark Peak= Coronado National Forest Willcox, Arizona 85643 Mt. Graham webpage Clark Peak Trail webpage Clark Peak Trail map

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Mt. Graham--Clark Peak
Coordinates: 32.7216238, -109.9849677 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Clark Peak
Spectacular views come one after the other as this trail winds along the spine of the Pinaleños. Clark Peak Trail follows a roller coaster course along the mountain’s high ridge northwest beyond the end of the Swift Trail (FR 803). From an elevation of 9,000 feet at the trailhead, it drops 2,000 feet to Taylor Pass and then climbs to the summit of 8,600-foot West Peak. Views alternate toward different sides of the mountain as the trail winds back and forth across the ridge. On the north and east sides of the ridge, the Gila Valley, the Santa Teresa Mountains and the towns of Safford, Thatcher, and Pima spread out at your feet. On south and west facing slopes, the Winchesters, the Galiuros, West Peak and the Sulphur Springs Valley stretch to the horizon. Vegetation varies from mixed conifer to oak woodland as elevation and aspect change. The trail skirts Clark Peak, and you may want to take a brief detour to the 10,022-foot summit to enjoy the view. Early on you’ll cross Hurricane Pass, so named because there’s always a strong wind blowing out of Babcock Canyon. Here the constant gale has sculpted the trees into bent and twisted shapes that bear testimony to the stress of living in such an inhospitable place. Between Hurricane Pass and the Taylor Trail #306, you will be traveling through an old burn area. The trail may be difficult to follow through the grass and shrubs. This is a long trail in rough country and, if you choose to travel it out and back, it makes a better overnighter than a day trip. Clark Peak Trail also connects with a number of other trails that lead to various access points around the mountain, but you’ll need to set up your own shuttle or have a friend pick you up if you wish to make a long one-way trip.

Directions: From Safford drive south 8 miles on US-191 to AZ-366 (Swift Trail). Turn right (southwest) onto AZ-366 and drive 29 miles to the Columbine Visitor Information Station. Continue along FR 803 (Swift Trail) about 5 miles to the Riggs Flat turnoff and then another 2 miles to the trailhead at the end of FR 803. The last 12 miles of this road are narrow and winding. This trailhead is not accessible from November 15 to April 15 when the Swift Trail is closed for the winter. Early or late snow may extend the inaccessible season. Or, take Forest Road 286 south from the town of Pima. Follow this road 12 miles to the Forest boundary, continue 15 miles farther to the West Peak lookout. The last 2 miles of this road may require a high clearance vehicle; a 4-wheel drive is preferable. The trailhead is alongside the road just before it arrives at the lookout. During the winter months, snow conditions may close access to this trailhead. From Clark Peak 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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|| L2338793 US US-AZ US-AZ-009 32.7216238 -109.9849677 Mt. Graham--Clark Peak