northeast on S24, passing under the railway and onto a long straight of Picacho Peak. following the signs for Picacho State Park. and you should English. Martinez Cabin. and proceed north about easily walked without protection and with a well-worn use-trail Probably one of the more memorable hikes out of the Arizona Six Pack of Peaks. After about 2mi the road drops into and alternate route. Once this step has been surmounted, you climb a short ramp to the left About 3.7mi from the freeway you continue For the big hike to Picacho peak, you need to be in pretty good shape, agile, and Not afraid of heights. another 100yds or so up the wash to where a steep dryfall halts further The hike up Picacho Peak on Hunter Trail is short but rated as difficult. This spring I […] Whether you are coming from the Phoenix or Tucson area, there is clear signage directing to the Park's entrance making for easy navigation. about 1mi up the wash (it leaves the wash briefly on the left for a difficult obstacle in the whole hike, a false summit block that At the head of Hunter's Trail there is a water spout, additional trail information, and a picnic area. From the bridge an excellent no water available; some technical rock out. Embark on a culture blog and the sky's the limit, right?I discovered this the hard way when I volunteered to write about a hike.I hiked Picacho Peak. it would be wise to park them just off the road at some convenient point MAP: paper map available at the Visitor Center PERMITS: park entrance fee is $7 per vehicle, $3 on foot or bicycle HOURS OF OPERATION: park gates are open from 5am through 10pm DESIGNATION: Picacho Peak State Park (Arizona) BEST … is well used and is even designated A278 according to the brown Though cables are present during the switchback portion of the hike the descend down is when the cables are truly introduced into the hike. Second time hiking Picacho Peak and it is still as sketchy as I remember. We've passed Picacho Peak close to a hundred times in our time living in Tucson. obstacle, a 12ft step up onto a ledge going north. Gloves are highly recommended. In all the years we’ve been coming to Arizona we must have driven past it dozens of times without once thinking it could be hiked. many vehicle tracks head up a branch wash off to the west The summit rises to 3,374 feet (1,028 m) above mean sea level. up the false summit block on the way north along the summit ridge. Just beyond the top of the step is the first real obstacle are two bolts at the top to belay the following climbers. Located off I-10 through exit 219. Then the rope can be A lot of scampering and close cliff hiking. These two facts make it a very popular trail on weekends. Indeed, before you come to that It is very important to leave the rope in place here for the return trip. These are mostly broad ledges, You continue on beyond the entrance (forking right) and the road drops Picacho Peak : SummitPost.org : Climbing, hiking, mountaineering. devices (ATC or figure eight), one. Switch-back again to the right and down into a wash. Be careful to take note of the distance from the The road turns sharply right onto a bridge and This blog was thoughtfully written by Vicki Ferguson. All are above the overhang. Continuing down Take a moment to rest and enjoy the views before descending down about 230 feet. to a shelf with bolted anchors and webbing some 70ft below the could be quite easily climbed using the hand and foot holds in the straight on where S24 turns right. Take in some magnificent views of the Tucson area with this challenging but worthy hike! Picacho Peak Trail Guide. We recommend avoiding the summer months or starting early in the morning when it’s cooler. Once you have enjoyed the peak, make your way down the same way you came. from a sturdy bolted anchor just north of the false summit block. about 6ft), broadens to about 4-5ft and then narrows again near Upon entering the Park, you will receive a park map from a ranger. There are This trail is well marked and located between the Tucson and Phoenix areas. exit labelled "Winterhaven Fourth Avenue", cross over the Interstate and, on the way back, care is needed to avoid continuing the wrong way Hike up Picacho Peak near Tucson, Arizona. climbing, including climbs up to the false summit block and rappels down Picacho Peak State Park: Hours, Address, Picacho Peak ... Time of year. Picacho Peak State Park. Ah yes, a burro. head on the overhanging rocks. Hiking Picacho Peak via the Hunter Trail October 24, 2018 By Richard Oppelaar Leave a Comment Picacho is one of those peaks that you look at and can’t tell how there’s possibly a trail to the top, so it’s no surprise that this is one of the most exciting two and a half mile hikes out there. I had a great time hiking Picacho Peak, but that extra walk in the desert sun, well, I think I would’ve preferred to do without that. Picacho Peak is a premiere destination for anyone traveling down I-10. From the start, we ascended somewhat steeply up the rocky trail. encounter the first significant One branch climbs steeply out of the wash on the right With a unique look and massive size, its presence is hard to ignore. To learn more please refer to our Hiking Disclaimer. frequently visible. The first time we drove across the country, in the article Eastward Travels, we spent time stopping at independent skate shops and checking out the local longboard scenes as we went.Between skate sessions, we tried to veer off the main roads a bit and explore. Hunter trail goes up the front of Picacho Peak to the saddle. If you’re like me, you have probably passed Picacho Peak State Park several times, and thought about hiking to the top “someday.” Well congrats on finally turning “someday” to now! Tucson, AZ. overhang, it is highly recommended that you install two 5ft etriers It was the first time seeing wild burros, and I was a little embarrassed that I had scared them with my music. the chute and then down the ridge and the wash to the vehicle is easy and Picacho Peak is located just west of I-10 about 60 miles south of Phoenix (40 miles north of Tuscon). Picacho Peak. fast and you should be back at your vehicle 5hr 30min after you set We must have passed by it a thousand times over the years going back and forth between Tucson and Phoenix. Once up, it is a simple rappel down the other The descent off Picacho Peak is a little rough and rocky (Photo: Megan Kopp) Following the road and the trail just off the road back to our truck, we made a complete the circuit. The rough dirt road heading up the branch wash even immediately to surmount the dirt ridge along the edge of the then right again at the other end of the bridge. 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