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Coronado Hiking Trails |
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Green Mountain Trail #21, Shortcut Trail #21A & Maverick
Spring Trail #704
The Green Mountain Trail leads from a trailhead at the San
Pedro Vista on the Catalina Highway to the General Hitchcock Campground.
Good views start as soon as you step out of your car here where the Galiuro
Mountains, Mount Graham and the wide San Pedro River Valley are framed
by the pines and firs that cling to the slope below the overlook.
The trail is located on the east side of the parking area
behind a metal trailhead sign. Finding it can be a bit
tough due to the large number of well-worn pathways that
radiate from the parking area,
but if you follow a line of rough rock steps up the slope
you’ll
find that all the routes rejoin in a short distance into
a well defined trail that turns toward the panorama. Good views continue
for some time
as the trail bends around an exposed point.
About a third of a mile from the trailhead, the Brush
Corral Trail #19 branches off on its 3,200 foot dive
down the mountain’s
east side. The Green Mountain Trail drops gradually through
thick forests out and around a major ridge to a junction with the Shortcut
Trail, which
provides a little used and hard to follow connecting route
to the Brush Corral Trail. From this point the Green Mountain Trail
climbs up and
over Bear Saddle at the head of Bear Canyon, but not before
passing another junction with another side trail, the Maverick Spring
Trail, which leads
less than half a mile to a picturesque natural seep. This
spring usually has water in it and is located in an area that is quite
lush.
From Bear Saddle, the trail drops down into Bear Canyon
through forests of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and
Arizona cypress. After crossing
usually dry Bear Creek a number of times it ends in
the General Hitchcock campground at the parking lot.
Attractions:
Views of wide valleys and distant mountains
Connecting trails
Campground access
Scenic trailhead
Season: Summer
Length: 3.6 miles (#21), 0.9 mile (#21A), East side trail 0.4 mile (#704)
Elevation: 6,000'-7,300'
Rating: More difficult
Use: Moderate
USGS Map(s): Mt. Bigelow
Access: Drive up the Catalina Highway either to the
General Hitchcock Campground trailhead
or to the San Pedro Vista Point trailhead.
Both are clearly marked.
Notes:
Maverick Spring usually has water and
Bear Creek has water during the
wettest months of the year.
Purification of water
is recommended prior to use.
When hiking in remote areas, go
with a companion whenever possible.
Always tell someone where
you’ve gone and when you expect to return.
Before using this trail, call
the Santa Catalina Ranger District
for current trail conditions which can vary
with season, weather and maintenance
status.
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