Cam-Boh Trail, AZ

Background
There is nothing particularly memorable about the Cam-Boh trail. It's just a level ramble through the desert to a picnic area. It connects the eastern and western ends of the northern foothills and desert area of Saguaro West national park. It parallels the road to some degree. It also offers excellent desert views and vegetation and is very close and easy to get to. For these reasons, it has its merits.


Hike
From the ubiquitous Ringtail Trailhead off Picture Rocks road, cross the street and take off on the wide sandy beginning of the Ringtail trail. Within 0.1 miles you come to a signed intersection for the Cam-Boh trail to your right. Take this and head west. The trail parallels the Picture Rocks road for the majority of the trip, which takes a couple of cool points off...but hey you know that going in. The beginning of Cam-Boh follows the path of a relatively narrow sandy wash. Within 0.4 miles you come to the first intersection of this trail, the Ironwood Forest trail heads left. Stay straight on your way. Soon thereafter, the trail breaks out of the wash and just rambles rather flatly through the desert. There is all manner of nice cacti around. Looking north you start to have nice views of Sombrero Peak and the flat Peak 3263 ridgeline. Looking back east Picture Rocks and Contzen Pass look sweet and you have great views of Mt. Lemmon through the pass (you'll see it the whole way back...one of the highlights of the hike). Looking south you can see Wasson Peak looking over the foothills.A mile from the Ironwood Forest will bring you to the intersection for the Panther Peak Wash trail, which breaks off to your right. Again stay straight. You can now see Panther Peak to the north and the Sombrero Peak ridgeline running west. In a total of 0.6 miles from Panther Peak Wash, you will come to the gravel Golden Gate Road which cuts into the heart of the park and leads to the Esperanza trailhead among others. Cross over the road and pick up the Cam-Boh trail again, which keeps on running diligently to the west. In a quick 0.3 miles the signed, wide, and sandy Prophecy Wash trail breaks off to the left and runs south towards Wasson Peak. From here you cross a couple of smaller washes before dead-ending at the Cam-Boh picnic area, built by the CCC in the '30s. It's a nice little picnic spot out in the desert. Head back the way you came for a quick and easy 5+ mile walk.

2008-10-26 fricknaley