You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Photoset • Tortoise_Hiker • 2017-01-24. Picacho Peak State Park: Sunset View Trail a hiking challenge - See 187 traveler reviews, 158 candid photos, and great deals for Picacho, AZ, at Tripadvisor. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie. Would love to come back. The trailhead for Calloway and Hunter start at the same place. The only thing “easy” about the trail is the distance...less than a mile in to the bench at the top. Beautiful wildflowers. 8 Photosets. While we continue to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, please take proper precautions or add them to your bucket list to see at a later date. Home If you know of a local business that could use some extra support during these times, please nominate them here: It starts in the exact same place as the strenuous Hunter Trail, but the Calloway Trail only has an elevation gain of 259 feet as opposed to scaling the mountain. Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Get more stories delivered right to your email. View of Picacho Peak Mountain From the Campground. It was a nice hike, beautiful weather & views throughout the whole trail. Want to enjoy the views of Picacho Peak without the strenuous trail straight up? Wear good hiking shoes and a stick is... read more. There is a small spur directly to the north of Picacho Peak, and between that small spur and Picacho Peak there is a small saddle. Dogs must be leashed at all times and are not permitted in any building. Not long in distance but great elevation changes. From the start, we ascended somewhat steeply up the rocky trail. Check out our previous article for more wildflower hikes: 8 Easy And Beautiful Spring Hikes Everyone In Arizona Will Love. The Calloway trail, a short steep climb of just 0.7 miles, takes you up to a stunning overlook. If you want to do some hiking at Picacho Peak but, you're not ready to do that vertical climb up Hunter Trail, Calloway Trail is a nice and easy way to experience this beautiful park. Sunset Vista, pictured above, is 5.4 miles long and meanders up the peak at a relatively steep grade. Straight up. Don't forget your camera, as these views deserve to be forever commemorated. The trail is 0.7 miles and categorized as a moderate difficult trail. Beautiful hike. ... Take the .7-mile, moderately difficult Calloway Trail that leads to a breathtaking scenic overlook. Beautiful view at the trail end as you come through a saddle. There are five hiking trails at Picacho Peak State Park: ... Calloway Trail: For a short, but still moderately challenging hike, consider this 0.7 miles trail - which leads to an overlook of the surrounding area. Cochie Springs Trail via Upper Javelina Trail, Wild Mustang to Wild Burro to Ridgeline to Alamo Springs, Upper Javalina - Wild Mustang - Cochie Springs - Wild Mustang, Wild Burro, Alamo Springs, Wild Mustang Loop. Asides from hiking, Picacho State Park is a great place to picnic and camp. From here there is a view of Picacho Peak RV Park and I-10 to the southeast. Calloway Trail: 0.7 miles; moderate; leads to an overlook. Other features of the park include a playground, historical markers, picnic areas, ramadas, grills, restrooms, a visitor center and gift shop, and campground. It is part … where it joins the Hunter Trail. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/picacho-peak-via-hunter-trail The website classifies Calloway as “easy”. Good work out. It’s a short and sweet hike, so bring the whole family and prepare for an eye-popping spectacle. Children's Cave Trail: 0.2 miles; easy; includes interpretive signs. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing. Picacho Peak rises above Arizona’s Sonoran Desert like a navigation beacon. With higher elevations come cooler temperatures. Saguaros seem to extend downhill with no end in sight, the clear blue sky serving as a picturesque backdrop. 3. Calloway Trail: This is a short hike up a moderate slope to an overlook at the base of the peak. Sunset Vista Trail: 3.1 miles; moderate first 2 miles, becoming difficult; travels on the south side from the westernmost parking area and goes to top of peak. One of my favorite short hikes. Calloway Trail to Overlook is a 0.8 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Picacho, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The hike up Picacho Peak the next morning was one of the high-lights of our visit and a definite bucket list item achieved. Reviewed March 31, 2020. In the winter, you are fine with a light jacket, water bottle, and hiking boots, but be more careful in the grueling summer months! Follow the Calloway Trail to a scenic overlook for an unparalleled hiking experience. Even during the heat of the summer, Picacho Peak is cooler than the desert floor below. Great quick hike for a view of ostrich farm and cotton fields. Visit the Picacho Peak AllTrails page to learn more. Poppies are undoubtedly the main event across much of Arizona, and the light orange blooms dominate the fields here, as well. If children are joining in on this climb, then double the time it would take for an adult to walk around. The trail is well-marked, there are interpretive signs along the way (more in-depth than 'this a tree, it has spikes'), and the views of Picacho Peak in the background is neat. Spring is such a special time in the Grand Canyon State because the desert landscape left barren by winter bursts forth into new life. All Campsites Are Now Electric! Total distance from the trailhead to the peak is 3.1 miles. Nature Trail - Picacho Peak State Park. Not heavily trafficked. This hike is not recommended during the hot summer months. Big steps. Desert View Trail (Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument) Easy incline out and back trail. We were enroute from Phoenix to Tucson and beyond and decided to stop in at Picacho Peak State Park to see the wildflowers in bloom. Enjoyed a two hour hike up and back on the Calloway Trail. Date of experience: December 2019. Calloway and Nature Trails - Picacho Peak, AZ: 2015-03-15: 23 by tibber : 1 label : page 1 2 . The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until September. One of the most famous wildflower destinations, Picacho Peak has trails ranging in length from 0.2 to 3.1 miles. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. We thought we would be missing all the difficult cable portions as we were only taking the Hunter Trail to the saddle, not all the way to the peak. Profile Trail to Calloway Peak: the hike. Breathtaking wildflower displays pop up all over Arizona starting in February, and Calloway Trail at Picacho Peak State Park offers an unparalleled viewing opportunity. Picacho Peak via Hunter Trail is a hard 3.4-mile out and back trail with an elevation gain of 1,982 feet. Fun views at top- nobody on the trail at about 3:30 on a Sunday. Thank you! Have you ever hiked Calloway Trail during the spring? Length: 0.8 mi • Est. The Hunter Trail all the way to the top of Picacho Peak is a very hard hike involving several 70-80 degree rock slopes with cables to hold onto. Calloway Peak via Profile Trail is a 7.6 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Banner Elk, North Carolina that features a waterfall and is rated as difficult. A 50 Plus Aged Saguaro . beautiful cactus. Great hike, nice views of the mountains. Calloway Trail (Picacho Peak State Park) Alan Stark/Flickr. It only takes about half an hour to hike from the Hunter Trail Head, but the only view is of I-10. HAZ uses cookies . Easier hikes include the ½ mile round trip to the Children’s Cave, the ½ mile round trip Nature Trail and the .7 mile Calloway Trail to a scenic overlook. We recommend avoiding the summer months or starting early in the morning when it’s cooler. In addition to the golden poppies and other flowers, you can also expect to see ocotillos in-bloom and even bald eagles from the summit. Great at sunrise. 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