Guidebook

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Segment 15: Coronado Trail  12.6 miles

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Segment Length	from PHX	to ABQ	Segment Status	Season
12.6 mi.	287		finalized & accessible	all year
Resources
OVERVIEW MAP ELEVATION PROFILE G.E.T. Topo Maps 44-45 Town Guide: Morenci/Clifton Water Chart Image Gallery: Album 5				Additional maps: Clifton 1:100K Topographic (BLM) Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (USFS) visit PLIC website Land management agency: Apache NF Clifton Ranger District: (928) 687-1301 BLM Safford Field Office: (928) 348-4400

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

When Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado led his expedition across the Southwest in 1540, he followed a route that ran close by today's Highway 191 from Clifton to Alpine. Coronado came in search of the storied Seven Cities of Cibola - that is, for gold - but today's visitor finds a more enduring treasure along the highway dubbed the "Coronado Trail" - mile after mile of unspoiled natural splendor.

The GET in Segment 15 also passes this way, in turn following a route loosely described by the two-lane mountain highway. Following it briefly at the start of this segment, our route passes an overlook revealing torturous curves for which the Coronado Trail is (in)famous - several hundred of them en route to Alpine, the nearest town for northbound vehicles. Trading asphalt for dirt, the GET soon rejoins trail of the foot-traffic sort, contouring along the scenic slopes of 7000+ foot summits. Mitchell Peak, a lightly forested crest along a ridge faceted with crests, typifies the complex topography here at the southern edge of the Blue Range, itself only a portion of Arizona's vast Central Highlands region below the Mogollon Rim.

Among the Apache National Forest trails that the GET follows here are Frye Trail 12, HL Canyon Trail 11, and Pigeon Creek Trail 465, the last of which is predominantly an old 2-track road. The segment ends at Forest Route 475, which is accessible to passenger cars in dry weather and, with the segment's starting access point, offers a convenient option for a one-way overnight trip. Forested camping is available in HL Canyon a little over half-way along, with probable water at Frye Spring and Mud Spring.

ROUTE DETAILS

From the dirt parking area for Painted Bluff Trail 13 (waypoint 15010, elev. 6250'), head north on the dirt road, reaching US 191 (Coronado Trail) in less than 0.1 of a mile. Granville Campground (developed water available seasonally) is located 1.3 miles north along the highway. (The campground can also be reached later on in this segment via side trails.) The GET instead turns right, following the low-speed, 2-lane highway around a hairpin curve, then another. Traffic is generally light, but the shoulder is narrow, so be alert. Chase Creek Scenic Vista is a worthwhile stop, just off the highway at 0.6. An interpretive sign points out several area peaks, as well as a small natural arch below, alongside the serpentine highway. Portions of the Morenci Mine are also visible. The scenic vista would serve as a convenient spot to try hitchhiking into Morenci or Clifton, although a better spot is located about a mile farther down the highway at another, larger turnout which receives more sightseeing vehicle traffic. (Locals actually seem to refer to this lower turnout as the Chase Creek Scenic Vista, rather than the upper one along the GET route, a worthwhile consideration if calling for a ride. If hitchhiking, plan to be patient waiting for a ride, especially on weekdays; thankfully almost all southbound traffic goes at least to Morenci.)

Where the highway turns south at the next bend (MP 0.8), leave it to join FR 8375. A hiker sign typically marks the turn-off. The 4WD road climbs, then bends east, passing a somewhat faint and all-but-abandoned side road on the right at 1.1 (waypoint 15030). This junction marks the end of the Eagle Creek Highwater Bypass, described in Segment 14.

FR 8375 passes through an old corral, then crosses a cattle guard to reach a fork at 1.5. A turnout on the left is something of a vehicle camping area, and offers an alternative parking spot for accessing Frye Trail 12 (see Beginning Access Point, above). Take the left fork, signed "Frye Trail / HL Canyon Trail." In 100 yards come to a t-junction, just before a metal gate. Turn right here, reaching a trail sign in 20 ft (1.6, waypoint 15040). Frye Trail 12 heads left from the sign. (Westbounders, turn right at the sign and proceed down to the main road. Turn left, then keep straight at the next fork, soon crossing a cattle guard.)

Frye Trail is generally well maintained, offering a pleasant stroll on good, benched tread. The trail traverses along the east side of a north-south oriented ridge complex, with nearly continuous views, which include prominent Walker Butte to the east. Among the trailside chaparral and scattered pines, note the variety of live oak species, including silverleaf and Mexican blue oak, occurring here near the northern extent of their range.

A signed junction with Pinal Trail 713 appears at 2.9, this trail being an option for those interested in visiting Granville Campground, perhaps as part of a side loop hike. (Another side trail to the campground is at 3.9 along the main route.) Just ahead, Frye Trail 12 descends into a gully and turns right down it. Frye Spring, several small pools fed by a pipe, is located due north at this bend, off-trail, less than 100 yards up the side drainage (3.1, waypoint 15050). In wetter times, water may also be found just ahead along the trail; as it crosses the drainage three times, then leaves it on its left, look down the embankment to the right for pools.

Frye Trail contours, with occasional ups and downs, to a saddle-top junction with signed Granville Trail 572 at 3.9, which also heads to the campground. Frye Trail now heads down from the saddle, dropping steeply toward a maple-blessed side canyon, its crimson canopy a feast for the senses in autumn. The trail then resumes its descent, reaching the main drainage of Sardine Creek, which only occasionally holds water, such as in small pour-offs at trailside. Follow the trail up-canyon along the north bank of the riparian drainage, then as it climbs northeast rather steeply away toward a viewful flat. Frye Trail 12 ends here, at a signed junction (4.7, waypoint 15070, elev. 6400'). Here, HL Canyon Trail 11 runs both left and right. Follow it right (east). (Trail 11 forms a loop around Mitchell Peak, the prominent high point to the northwest, and is accessible from US 191.) (Westbounders, take the left fork at the signed trail junction onto Frye Trail 12, reaching Sardine Trail 10 in 3.2 miles, per the sign.)

HL Canyon Trail, where concurrent with the GET, was last cleared of brush in fall '09 by the author; previously the trail was rather overgrown with live oak and New Mexico locust. Pass evidence of an old corral, and descend toward a signed junction with Walnut Spring Cut-off Trail, at 4.9 (waypoint 15080). (Walnut Spring, reliability unknown, is ~1.4 mi via this side trail.) Turn left, staying on HL Canyon Trail, and immediately passing a large cairn. (Westbounders, turn right beyond the cairn.)

The trail traverses obviously across a shallow, cottonwood-studded canyon draining from Mitchell Peak, the first of several in the next few miles. It then ascends on an eroded surface of white volcanic tuff to a viewful point. Here it bends north, crossing a drainage, then contouring around another. A sidehill climb leads to a junction with Trail 703, signed "Walnut Spring 1 mile." (5.5, waypoint 15090) The junction is rather vague; keep left, remaining on HL Canyon Trail, which climbs northeast on faint tread with occasional cairns. (Westbounders, remain on HL Canyon Tr, which bends right (west) and descends.)

Traverse above some eroded cliffs, with fine views south toward Pinal Point and the peaks above Morenci mine (often seen through localized haze caused by airborn dust from the mine). The cairned trail trends northeast along the slopes, now with the juniper-clad expanse of Prieto Plateau in view, Maple Peak and the distant Mogollon Mountains beyond. Pass between a pair of old wooden posts, then follow the trail left (north) along a fenceline, reaching a gate in 100 yards. Here, in a fenced enclosure at 6.5, is Mud Spring, a seemingly reliable, pipe-fed cement trough. The nearby ground often appears to be muddier than the spring source itself, and the trough is often full and clear. Eastbounders, fill your bottles here, as the next sure-fire source is nearly 15 miles away at the Blue River in Segment 16. (Westbounders, follow along the fenceline beyond the spring, then in 100 yards turn right, away from the fence, passing through a pair of old wooden posts.)

The trail resumes a viewful northward traverse, passing a small, relatively rock-free potential camp spot on eastbounder's right, about a quarter mile north of Mud Spring. A similar distance north of the campsite the trail passes near tiny and fragile McBride Spring on the left, which is actually located just beyond (at contour) where the trail descends right to bottom out in HL Canyon. (Westbounders, McBride Spring is just to the right of the main trail after the initial short climb out of HL Canyon.) The shallow rockbound pool was almost unusable upon first observation, and tasted strongly of tannins, but would nonetheless be a convenient source if camping nearby. Trail 11 crosses the usually dry drainage in HL Canyon and comes to a prominent t-junction (6.9, elev. 6400') at a cairn and sign, where it heads left. Our route instead turns right (east), joining Trail 312.

Trail 312 soon reaches an old stone corral. Here a semi-cleared area among the rocks would offer one of the better camping spots since the start of the segment, with ponderosas, sycamores, and stately oaks lending a sheltering, secluded ambience. Just beyond the corral the trail reaches an opening in a fenceline. Don't pass through, but instead turn left on the trail that leaves the drainage. This is unsigned Pigeon Creek Trail 465. The trail parallels the fence for 100 feet, then passes through another opening at a wire gate and continues uphill along its opposite side. Soon the fenceline jogs away, and the trail ascends to reach another fence with a gate at 7.2 (waypoint 15110). Beyond the gate, Trail 465 becomes vague, then fades out entirely. But Trail 465 resumes as an obvious 2-track road near Wing Tank in less than half a mile. To reach the tank, head northeast, initially cross-country (possibly flagged) along the pinyon-juniper clad mesa. Reaching a cairn, join an old dozer track that continues along the northern edge of the mesa, then at a pair of cairns join some semblance of foot trail which heads east south-east, ending at a corral containing Wing Tank, an earthen wildlife pond that often holds some water. Head through the corral to reach the obvious 2-track road at 7.6 (waypoint 15120). (Westbounders, to reach HL Canyon from Wing Tank, pass through the corral obliqely, guided here by a recently-installed metal trail sign. Foot trail heads west northwest from the sign, then joins an old dozer track at a pair of cairns. Follow the track along the edge of the mesa. The track eventually fades out at another cairn; here continue cross-country toward the southwest (possibly flagged), reaching a fenceline spanning the mesa and seek out a gate near the mesa's southern end (waypoint 15110). Pass through the fence gate and follow the resumption of Trail 465 (now singletrack again) southwest, traversing down off the mesa. The trail passes through another fence opening at a wire gate, soon reaching the drainage of HL Canyon by an old stone corral.)

From the corral and tank, Trail 465 turns left (east) on the narrow 2-track road (also known as FR 475E). The little-used track meanders pleasantly downhill, following the contours of a series of broad-topped ridges, and offering good vantages to the north and east. Eventually shady pinyons give way to hillsides of scattered junipers as the 2-track descends more earnestly northeast, reaching a road junction at 11.0 (waypoint 15130). Turn right here (east). (Westbounders turn left at the junction, climbing.)

Trail 465's 2-track contours across an eroded gully, here entering an area of welded tuff or caliche similar to that near milepoint 5. The road descends into the often-dry drainage of Pigeon Creek, then climbs out on its south bank to reach a junction with FR 475D, a lesser 2-track heading south (12.4, waypoint 15140). Turn left, staying on the better road as it descends northeast, passes an unreliable stock pond, then crosses the Pigeon Creek drainage once more. Pigeon Creek Trail 465 ends at a junction with 2WD FR 475 (Juan Miller Road), at 12.6 (waypoint 16010, elev. 4950').

Segment 14

Segment 16