On my many trips between Phoenix and Tucson on I-10 I have passed Picacho Peak, each time promising myself to hike there one day. This peak which rises abruptly by itself from the desert floor intrigues most who pass by it. This trip I found myself alone on the way to Tucson with extra time on my hands so I pulled into Picacho Peak State Park and set my sites on its summit.

I stopped at the Ranger Station to pay my $3 entrance fee and headed for the Hunter Trail which I found marked by a prominent sign and a picnic area. As much use as this trail probably sees on the weekends, I was surprised at the limited parking found at the trailhead. There is room for perhaps 10 cars. However, there is additional parking throughout the Barrett Loop, which is the small road providing access to the trailhead. Hiking on a Monday, I found no other cars parked within the loop.

The lower portions of the Hunter Trail offered a surprisingly abundant assortment of desert plants. A nice grove of Saguaro is present here as are Palo Verde. Within 20 minutes of the trailhead I had reached the base of the rimrocks. Here the peak provided shade to this eastern slope which was welcome on this rather warm day. In several places there are handrails made of steel cable though they really seem rather unnecessary. 5 minutes later I reached a saddle which offered an impressive view to the west of the peak.

From the saddle the trail drops approximately 200 feet rather drastically over the western side of the peak. On this part of the trail the handrails become welcome help as do the large wood blocks which act as stairs on the trail. The trail continues its descent (though not quite as steep) for another 250 feet where it intersects the Sunset Vista Trail to once again ascend on the summit.

There is a marked difference in the feeling of solitude from the eastern and western sides of this peak. The eastern side provides a continuous drone of highway traffic. As soon as I dropped over the western side from the saddle, there was only the sound of my footsteps and breathing to break the silence.

From the intersection with the Sunset Vista Trail the signature of this trail to the summit has to be its navigation up very steep sections of rock. Steel cable handrailings become a necessity to climbing several sections of rock. Both hands are needed to traverse several sections, so bringing a pack is essential for your water, camera and whatever else. In case you haven’t realized it by now, this is not the kind of trail you should attempt with tennis shoes. Good gripping soles are needed to minimize the risk of slipping. I managed to rip the leather on my right boot while climbing this section, sending that pair of boots into early retirement.

One hour and fifteen minutes after leaving the trailhead, I found myself on top of Picacho Peak. The view from here is truly impressive as you can see for miles along the desert floor before a mountain range such as the Santa Catalinas to the southeast and the Santa Rosas to the southwest rise from it. 45 miles to the south I was able to make out Kitt Peak, while nearly 70 miles away Mt. Wrightson and Mt. Hopkins stood in the haze. While enjoying the view and resting from the climb, I managed to snap off a dozen pictures as Turkey Vultures soared around the peak.

The descent to the intersection with the Sunset Vista Trail seemed to go quickly as the trail drops 850 feet in a half-mile. On this section, one of the vultures decided to swoop within 20 feet of me, providing me a rather impressive look at this huge bird.

Upon reaching the Sunset Vista trail intersection, I decided to use it instead of the Hunter Trail to descend. Looking at the map provided me at the Ranger Station, this would add several miles to my hike, but I was very impressed by what looked like gorgeous desert below. Luckily I had brought enough water (4 liters) to accommodate this change in plans.

The Sunset Vista Trail actually has the steepest portion of rock to traverse. This section is just below the intersection with the Hunter Trail. As with the Hunter Trail, there are steel cables to help.

Very quickly I found myself glad to have made the decision to utilize this trail. The cactus and desert trees provide a magnificent landscape. As the trail turns to head north just before the desert floor, there is a forest of Saguaro surrounding the trail and spreading miles westward. Ocotillo and Cholla cactus are also in abundance and quite impressive as are the many Palo Verde trees which provide what little shade there is to be had. Once making the turn north, the Sunset Vista Trail meanders across numerous washes providing a little up-and-down hiking all the way to the trailhead at a huge parking lot in which I found no cars.

The problem with utilizing the Sunset Vista Trail to descend is that its trailhead is 2.2 miles on park road from the Hunter trailhead. On a busier day it would probably be possible to bum a ride back to the Hunter Trailhead, but this Monday did not present that option. I am still glad I took the time to walk the extra 2.2 miles as it provided me the opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous desert available on the Sunset Vista Trail. If you are just out to bag a peak, the Hunter Trail will probably satisfy you. If you want to enjoy Arizona desert hiking at some of its finest, take the time to enjoy the Sunset Vista Trail.

Getting there: Located 40 miles north of Tucson just west of I-10 at exit 219, Picacho Peak Road.

Stats: Hunter Trail trailhead is at 2000 feet as I believe the Sunset Vista Trail trailhead is also. Picacho Peak Summit is at 3370 feet. Net elevation gain for Hunter trail is approximately 1820 feet as there is a 450 foot descent on it. The 2-mile Hunter Trail took 1 hour 15 minutes to ascend. The 3.1-mile Sunset Vista Trail took 1 hour 45 minutes to descend. The 2.2 mile walk between Hunter and Sunset Vista trailheads took 45 minutes.

Tips: $3 fee per car. There is little shade available especially on the Sunset Vista Trail so bring the sunscreen. Though not necessary, it would be nice to have leather gloves to use on the steel cable handrailings.