Encinas Trail, AZ

Background
This is a nice, easy walk through the desert in the heart of Saguaro National Park West. Heading out from the nice, secluded Ez-Kim-In-Zin picnic area built in the 1930s by the CCC the trail simply wanders out in the desert for a few miles before dead-ending at Sandario Road.


Hike
There is not much fancy about this hike. Simply take off from the trailhead at the picnic area and head northwest into the desert. The trail starts in a wash, breaks out and parallels, then crosses a couple more washes along the way. Every time the trail enters of crosses a wash it is signed. This is a generally sandy and slowly descending walk through the desert offering a nice sample of every variety of cactus that grows in Saguaro, especially of the namesake king of the land. Initially, there are nice views of the local hills about the picnic area. As you head away from it, you are walking towards the isolated little red dome of Apache Peak. Soon you pass north of this and keep heading northwest through the desert. After about 1.5 miles along the trail, you can see the ridgeline of Sombrero Peak and Panther Peak back to the northeast. Out ahead are wide-sweeping views of the Silver Bell Mountains and Ragged Top north of them.After 3 miles of hiking, you will come to the signed intersection for the Cactus Wren Trail which runs north and south. Keep going beyond this for 0.4 miles to reach the signed intersection for the Manville Trail and the park boundary. A few hundred feet beyond this drops you unceremoniously off on Sandario Road, where there is no trailhead or sign for that matter. Head back the way you came, a gently 680-foot climb back to the picnic area, with great views of Wasson and Amole Peaks in front of you the whole way.

2008-12-04 fricknaley