Santa Catalina Mountains,
Pima Co.,
Arizona
Hiking Trails:
Mt. Bigelow Trail
Kellogg Trail
Butterfly Trail
Total Time: 1:00 hour
Estimated Distance: 2.1 Miles
Pros: Amazing drive to trailhead, great views and nice forest
Cons: Towers on top take away from the natural setting
I was in Tucson, Arizona, and decided to take a hike near Mount Lemmon high in the Santa Catalina Mountains. I had been to the Catalina Highway many years ago, and wanted to make a return trip with a hike in the area. (I think the Catalina Highway is one of the most scenic roads in the country.) Since I was busy with work, I could not do a long hike, so this was the perfect size for something short, yet with a good climb, and including a drive up Catalina Highway.
I parked at the Mt. Bigelow trailhead, and took the trail up to the Kellogg Trail, and then to the summit. The climb is about 600 feet in elevation gain to the summit by the towers. There are great views as you ascend, and the area is nicely forested with pine. At the summit I used a shortcut trail to cut down around the loop and back to the junction with the Butterfly Trail, and took the Butterfly Trail down a short distance past the norther ridge to the area where there was still some snow. I then turned around and took the Bigelow Trail back down to the parking area.
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| Map of the Route |
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| Plaque About the Forest at the Trailhead |
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| Pine Trees at the Beginning of the Hike |
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| Interesting Rock Formation |
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| Pine Forest |
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| Butterfly Trail Marker |
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| Mt. Lemmon Summit from Mt. Bigelow |
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| Nice View Facing North |
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| View of the Desert Blue |
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| Trail Marker at the Mt. Bigelow Summit |
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| Me at the Trail Marker at Bigelow Summit |
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| Butterfly Trail Descending the Northern Slope of Bigelow Mountain |
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| Forested Area and Desert. Note the Snow on the Trail in the Distance |
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| Panning East from the Bigelow View |
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| View from Mt. Bigelow, Facing Southeast |
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| View from Mt. Bigelow, Facing South |
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| Forested Area Below Bigelow Summit, Facing South |
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| Zoomed South Towards Thimble Peak |
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| Forest Below Mount Bigelow |
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| Desert on the Northern Flank of the Catalinas |
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| Snow on the Butterfly Trail |
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| Northern Flank of Bigelow Mountain |
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| Me on the Snowy Bigelow Trail, in Short Sleeves |
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| Mt. Bigelow Summit and Towers in the Distance |
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