West Butte Trail - CGMP, AZ

Overview
The West Butte Trail is one of six named trails in the Casa Grande Mountain Park. It's an interior trail, even though one may most easily access it from the unimproved Henness Road Trailhead at the southern side of the park. The official route begins at the E-2 EMS Marker (reference regional park map) and meanders generally north until terminating at a junction with the East Butte Trail.


Hike
The optimal way to complete this hike is to start at the Arica Road Trailhead (Paved - Car Okay) and follow the East Butte Trail to the aforementioned E-2 EMS Marker. From this switchback transition, one descends about 37 feet in 0.18 miles to near the Henness Road TH parking area. Continue north on the old road, quickly reaching one of the many Corona Satellite Calibration Targets that are located in this region. The route travels directly west for a bit and then northwest.At the half-mile point, there's a four-way junction where two wildcat trails split off first right and then left, but the West Butte Trail continues north. The Ridge Trail's terminus will be passed on hiker's left at about a mile from E-2 above two obvious sweeping switchbacks. From this point, the trail curves to the northwest and parallels below the Ridge Trail until rejoining it briefly before the Saguaro Fork Trail junction. Stay right for only a quarter mile and -67 AEG less until it terminates at the East Butte Trail.

Synopsis
An interior connector trail that can be integrated with some of the other park trails to form varying loops. There's only one brief section categorized by the City of Casa Grande as moderate and overall this trail is predominantly an uber-mellow Sonoran Desert stroll.

2024-03-31 pseudalpine