Statistics  Difficulty: 3.5     Route Finding: 2   Distance One Way 11 miles  Trailhead Elevation 4286 feet  Elevation Gain 1300 feet  Avg Time One Way 5 hours Author BrettVet  Descriptions: 13  Routes: 35  Photos: 238  Trips: 32   (337 Miles)  Age: 60     Gender:  Location: Tucson, AZ HAZ Member Photos  Photos         Date Member 4  01-25-2009  Nodin 9  10-03-2008  robxxx 8  04-18-2008  Jeff MacE 4  11-02-2007  BrettVet Photosets Rated Viewed

Tucson North  BLM  Tucson  Forest  Coronado Backpack - Yes & Connecting Seasons - ALL Arizona Trail Redington Pass - AZT #10 Hikes GPS Routes  2007-02-14 BrettVet 10.44 mi Expand Map Street Terrain Topo View All Routes w/ Borders! Fauna  Praying Mantis    Tarantula    Western Patch-nosed   Flora  Hedgehog Cactus   Nearby Hikes Springs Direct Air Miles Away to Trailhead 0 •  Molino Basin Trail #11 0.9 •  Molino Agua Caliente Ridge 1.7 •  Bug Springs Trail 1.5 •  Hollins Basin 1.7 •  Hutch's Pool via East Fork Sabino Canyon [ View More! ]       [ View Springs! ]

The trail travels from Molino Basin, up over a saddle into rolling grassland hills with rock formations and ends at Redington road. The Italian springs trail continues on the other side of Redington road. The hike can be started from either end and is great as a two party hike starting form both ends and exchanging car keys in the middle. The Molino Basin end starts from the restroom at Molino basin between milepost 5 and 6 on the Catalina Highway. The trail crosses the road and parallels the creek for a short distance then crosses the creek and begins the ascent up the saddle to the east. . At the saddle you go through a gate and enter Bellota Ranch. The trail drops down into a valley with the Rincon mountains in the distance and Aqua Caliente summit in view. At the bottom of the hill is the West Spring that is a cement solar powered cattle trough. From here the trail follows FR36 which is an overgrown 4x4 road. After about a mile it intersects an unsigned, but cairned trail to the south that goes up a side canyon. This is the Meligrosa canyon trail that goes down between the Melagrosa and Agua Caliente canyons and ends at Snyder road in Tucson. (Another great hike for another time) The trail takes off to the right after another mile or so and is marked with AZ trail markers. Follow the trail and don’t be tempted to go up the road to the left, even though the topo map says to. This is a ranch road and is more traveled. The trail then becomes a single track trough rock formations to the south of Bellota ranch., Bellota ranch is dude ranch owned by Tanque Verde Guest Ranch and people pay big bucks to stay there to get the same hike your getting for FREE. The road to Bellota Ranch is intersected right after a pond. Go to the left up the hill on the road to find the trail continuation. From here the trail climbs out of the valley with more scenic views and a few deer. Reddington Road is a sight for sore eyes with the trailhead parking across the road. Form Tucson this trailhead is 12.5 after Redington road turns to dirt.
- Feb 14 2007 BrettVet

One-Way Notice: This hike is listed as One-Way. When you hike several trails on a single "hike", log it under the initial trail or the destination trail. Then link the other trails to your logged trip, check out the example.