Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge/Browns Canyon
| when |
Trip Report :
April 1-2, 2017
|
| where |
SW of Tucson |
| the hike |
This will be an overnighter, staying at a lodge in the NWR near Browns Canyon.
We will drive down Saturday morning and go to Arivaca (2.5 to 3 hour drive)
and hike the Cienega Trail (1.3 miles, good birding area) and then the Mustang
Trail (5 miles) and then proceed to the lodge to get checked in.
Then drive down to the main entrance to the NWR, go to the Visitor Center and
then drive the Pronghorn Loop just before dusk in hopes of seeing lots of wildlife.
Sunday morning we will hike Browns Canyon (4 miles) directly from the lodge.
We will pack up and head home after lunch.
The lodge has refrigerator and cooking facilities and several rooms with a total
of 16 beds. Bring a sleeping bag and pillow to use on the bed and your food for
2 lunches, 1 dinner and 1 breakfast. Cost of the lodge is $280 or $17.50 per
person if we get 16 people. I saw a picture of the lodge and it looks quite nice
but is “rustic”.
|
| distance |
10 miles total on 3 hikes |
| time |
2 days |
| on trail |
100% |
| rating |
"C"
Rate yourself as a hiker. |
| dogs allowed |
no |
| cost |
Cost of the lodging (see above).
Also, riders should share the cost of gas.
The club also allows voluntary contributions of $5 per non-member. |
| weather |
Tucson |
| meet |
6:30 AM in the parking lot south of
Einstein Bros.
Bagels on the SE corner of 48th Street & Ray Road, west of I-10.
For those leaving their cars behind, please park up against the west curb
of the parking lot and not in the Einstein’s common parking area.
|
| drive |
| • |
Take I-10 east to Tucson, exit to I-19 south. |
| • |
Take I-19 south (we will stop at rest area a couple miles before the exit) to
Arivaca Junction exit and turn right and then right again and then left onto
Arivaca Road (note the yuuge cow scull on the right).
|
| • |
Go west on Arivaca Road 20 miles or so to Arivaca Cienega Trailhead on the left.
There are 2 toilets there and picnic area for early lunch/snack after the 1.3 mile
hike.
|
| • |
We will then proceed through Arivaca to the Mustang trailhead.
After the hike we proceed west to SR 286 and turn right and go north to the
turn off to the lodge.
|
| • |
See the Map.
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