HIKE OF THE MONTH

hike of the month The Douglas Spring Trail Can Be Tough if You're a Flat Earth Hiker

The Douglas Spring Trail is a desert hike in the Rin-con Mountains on the east end of Tucson, but on this day the hike became the most amazing desert trek I'd ever taken. Water rushed everywhere. In the first two weeks of January, snow covered the upper ridges of the Rincons, and by the middle of the month the temperatures had warmed sufficiently to melt a considerable amount of it. As a result, every creek and waterfall burst alive with tumbling water that rushed through rocky channels surrounded by giant saguaro cactuses, ocotillos, and jojoba bushes in the lower elevations, and by oaks, junipers, and red-barked manzanita bushes higher up the mountain.

This trail, while extraordinarily beautiful and very popular, is not for everyone. An 11.8-mile round-trip, the hike boasts an elevation gain of 2,100 feet and steep grades. If you amble off the trail to visit Bridal Wreath Falls, which is intermittent, you can add another half mile here or there. With rest stops and a lunch break, it took me nearly eight hours to make this day hike.

The trail begins at an elevation of 2,700 feet and climbs to 4,800 feet at Douglas Spring. Normally the full length of the hike is dry, and Douglas Spring seldom contains any water.

Douglas Spring is actually a backcountry campground, meaning that if you backpack, this is where you camp. All of the trail is within the east unit of Saguaro National Park. Day hikers do not need a permit, but campers do.

To find the Douglas Spring trailhead, drive to the dead end on East Speedway Boulevard, roughly 20 miles from downtown Tucson, where you'll see a ramada and benches.

The first part of the trail is a flat route that meanders for about a mile through the dense vegetation of the Sonoran Desert mesquite and paloverde trees, giant saguaro and prickly pear cactuses, among others.

WHEN YOU GO

For more information on Douglas Spring Trail, contact the Saguaro National Park East Unit, 3693 S. Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85715; (520) 733-5100. Open fires at the campground and pets on the trail are prohibited, but horseback riding is allowed. You can obtain a backcountry permit before noon at the Rincon Mountain District Headquarters of Saguaro National Park East, or write SNP at the above address for the permit application.

After the first mile, the trail gets narrow and steep as it climbs through a rocky drainage. Two miles up, the trail swings into a broad valley dotted with mesquite trees, desert broom, and ocotillos. About 300 feet beyond the Three Tank trail-head (you will see the sign along the the Douglas Spring Trail), watch for Bridal Wreath Falls about a half mile off to the right (or south). If a lot of water is visible in the creek alongside Douglas Spring Trail, there's likely to be a good flow at the waterfall. There is a trail to the falls about a quarter-mile east of the Three Tank Trail cutoff.

beyond the Three Tank trail-head (you will see the sign along the the Douglas Spring Trail), watch for Bridal Wreath Falls about a half mile off to the right (or south). If a lot of water is visible in the creek alongside Douglas Spring Trail, there's likely to be a good flow at the waterfall. There is a trail to the falls about a quarter-mile east of the Three Tank Trail cutoff.

By the time you get to the vicinity of the waterfall, most of the hardest part of the climb to Douglas Spring is behind you. You will still encounter long, steep switchbacks, but those are interrupted by gently rolling terrain and panoramic views of Tanque Verde Ridge to the east and the full length of the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north.

Douglas Spring campground sits in a small grove of juniper trees at the base of the very steep trail to Cow Head Saddle (another 2.4 miles). There is no drinking water at the campground. However, there is one concession to civilization: The Park Service has installed a single chemical toilet behind a wooden, roofless enclosure that offers minimal privacy.