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Coronado Hiking Trails |
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Grant Creek Trail #305
This west side trail has a bit of a split personality. Upper
reaches are steep and rough going while lower portions of the trail
follow a moderate canyon-bottom course. From the Cunningham Campground
the trail begins to drop almost immediately down a long series of switchbacks
into Post Creek Canyon. Climbing down those switchbacks is made a bit
easier by the far reaching views you can enjoy each time you stop for
a rest. Having reached the bottom of this 2,000-foot grade, the trail
then follows the canyon floor, first beside Post Creek and then along
Grant Creek, until it breaks free of the mountain in the vicinity of
historic Fort Grant.
Trailside vegetation starts out as a mixture of high
mountain species, including Douglas-fir and quaking
aspen, and changes gradually
to ponderosa pine and Gambel oak as it descends. Once
in the canyon Douglas-fir reappears, but now it’s part of a community
that includes riparian species such as Arizona alder. The surroundings
continue to change as
the trail proceeds downstream and the forest gives way
to desert.
Trail users stand a good chance of seeing a bear along
this trail; however, though these shy animals are plentiful
in this area,
they do a good job of keeping out of sight. More likely
you’ll
see Aberts squirrels and deer–either white-tailed in higher elevations
or mule deer in lower elevations. Grant Creek is one of
the few streams in this mountain range containing a population of native
Apache trout.
The fish are mostly small, but what they lack in size they
make up for in wariness and spunk.
Fort Grant, at the trail’s lower end, was built in 1872 as an
outpost in the wars between the U.S. Army and the Apaches. After those
wars ended
with the capture of Geronimo in 1886, the fort was closed. Presently, it serves as a Prison Work Camp for the State of Arizona.
Attractions:
Big panoramas
Westward looking views (most trails are east)
Streamside hiking and riding
Historic interest
Watchable (and fishable) wildlife
Season: Spring to fall
Length: 5.5 miles
Elevation: 5,520'-8,895'
Rating: More difficult
Use: Moderate
USGS Map(s): Webb Peak
Access: From Safford drive south 8 miles on US
191 to the Swift Trail (AZ 366). Turn right (southwest) onto AZ 366 and
drive 26
miles to the Cunningham Camp and
corral on the left side of the road. The trailhead is located
toward the back of the campground.
The trailhead at the lower end begins at
the end of Forest Road 157. To drive
to the trailhead you no longer need to get a key from the Administrative site.
Before using this trail, call the Safford
Ranger District for current
trail conditions which can
vary with season, weather and
maintenance status.
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