Kellogg Mountain - Mount Lemmon, AZ

Anyone who's hiked Mt. Bigelow probably noticed this small mountain. Interestingly, the Kellogg Mountain Trail #45 doesn't go to the top of Kellogg Mountain summit.


To get there, reach the 3-way junction of the Butterfly Trail #16, Mount Bigelow Trail, and the Kellogg Mountain Trail. Continue Northeast on the Butterfly Trail for about 50 feet. Look to the East, and you will see this peak. It's about a 10 minute easy bushwhack to get to the top. Follow the top of the ridge, and you shouldn't have any problem getting to the top. There are several logs to step over along the way. From the top, there are some great views of Mt Bigelow and the surrounding area. There is a geological marker that appears to be east of the true peak, a few feet lower than the highest point. It's possible to continue eastward, but it gets rather steep and messy.It's highly recommended to descend the same way you came up, but I was up for a challenge, so I decided to traverse this mountain going to the east. About 2/3 of the way down, the bushwhack was so bad, I considered turning around and going back up to the top and down the west side. But, at this point, I could see the Kellogg Mountain Trail about 50 feet below me, so I weaved through the brush, looking for any safe way to get down.

Warning: In some areas the steepness was more than a 45 degree incline. But "luckily", the brush was so thick that it provided some level of support from not falling or slipping!

It ended up taking me about 30 minutes to get down. There may have been a better route, but I didn't find one. All in all, it was an excellent short adventure!

2020-04-29 Mike_W