Crystal Spring Trail Santa Catalina Mountains Tucson, Arizona Distance: 6-8 miles Type: singletrack, out&back Time: 2-5 hours Season: Summer-Fall Elevation Range: 6400-7700 ft Permit Required: Catalina Mountains or Madera Canyon pass Quick Rating: technical fun Trail Map (220 Kb JPG) Download IrfanView for JPG printing About the map and trail profile Revised 6/6/03

Description

This is a beautiful and technically challenging singletrack winding through evergreen forest on the northeast slope of Mt. Lemmon. Unlike most other Mt. Lemmon trails you get the best of most worlds. The singletrack works its way uphill on the way out and becomes a different trail on the way back.

Rating

This is not a trail for the timid or weak of lung, leg, nerve, or technical skill. The trail is typical Mt. Lemmon single track; thin, soft, steep, and perched on the side of a steep slope with plenty of rocks and roots to slide you off the mountain.

How to get there

Take the Mt. Lemmon Highway to N. Fire Control Road (mile 24.55). Take the fire control road approximately 2.5 miles down and find a comfy parking spot. Road conditions on the backside vary with season. Most passenger cars can make it but there are several washed out sections that will require handling skill with low-clearance vehicles. Trail is 2.9 miles from Mt. Lemmon Highway. The trail is very easy to miss! Use the trail map and count switchbacks on the way down.

If you don't have a Forest Service pass, pick one up at the Texaco station on the south side of Tanque Verde Road just shy of the Mt. Lemmon Highway Intersection. If you forget, the pass station above the Molino overlook may be open. You can pick up day passes from a self service station at Molino Basin.

Trail Log

0.0	Trail starts 2.9 miles from Mt. Lemmon highway on fire control road
2.95	Crystal Springs Trail ends at Butterfly Trail. Turn right if you want more uphill punsihment. Turn around and backtrack if you've had enough.

Notes

Watch out for hikers and yield the trail, smile, and wave. In most cases they will encourage you to pass, possibly thinking that anyone crazy enough to try and ride this trail needs all the help they can get. They are not common on this trail but recent maintenance may change that.

Watch weather conditions. After a heavy rain the trail gets soft and seemingly dry roots and rocks will slide you down the hill before you know it. Pete likes a wet trail for soil traction despite the rock/root hazard. I don't like it because slips and falls cause more trail damage. But then Pete rides the trail and I fall on it.

Variations

Soldier Camp Loop