Ocotillo Trail - Kartchner, AZ

Overview
While the Caverns are of course the main attraction at Kartchner Caverns State Park, the new Ocotillo Trail is a nice wander, offering a taste of the Whetstone Mountains and panoramic views of the Sonoran Desert and Dragoon Mountains in the distance.


Hike
The trail starts right outside the Discovery Center and begins as the Foothills Loop trail. We took the loop counter-clockwise. The first 1/4 mile of the Foothills Loop trail skirts the Discovery Center and roadway up to the caverns, then heads off to the desert. We encountered a small herd of whitetail deer here. After 1/2 mile the Ocotillo Trail takes off to the right, and heads up into what I call an "Ocotillo Forest." It's obvious where the trail gets its name.While climbing gently into the Whetstone Mountains' foothills, you're circling the hill that houses the Caverns. You'll go through a couple of fenceline gates as you near the top of the trail, and the views are worth stopping for. You eventually meet back up with the south side of the Foothills Loop trail which leads you the last mile back to the Discovery Center.

2024-04-10 paulhubbard