Agua Caliente Hill, AZ

Nestled in between the would-be valley separating the Catalinas and Rincons stands a rather tall peak or hill, if you will, named Agua Caliente Hill. From the right perspective, it is obvious, from others you would never even know it's there. Well, it's there and there is a very nice trail to the summit, though this trail is not even mentioned on the Coronado National Forest website trail directory. I set out to find it today and was rewarded with a great new hike, with good distance and elevation to boot.


From the trailhead cruise straight through a hikers gate and immediately start switchbacking up the near foothills to access the ridge north. You gain elevation quickly and the views of everything are immediate. The trail is well-maintained. You have a strange top-of-the-world feel on this hike as you can almost always see the whole range of the Catalinas and Rincons. The trail scrambles along ridges, foothill summits, and through drainages for about 1.5 miles.At this point, you descend to a cleared-out grassy area, with a dry pond bed to your left. The trail splits here. Follow a small cairn and go right here. Otherwise, there are no challenges in navigation here. The trail continues a slightly more earnest climb up and along smaller canyons, crosses the drainage, and starts a climb up the ridge to a saddle located 3 miles out. The views rock here and to the north you can see the summit (in retrospect...see below). A sign at the saddle tells you to go right and follow the trail north and up. Forest Service Road (not a road) scrambles off to the west. From here it is 1.5 miles to the summit according to signage, 1.9 mi is more accurate.

The climb picks up intensity and heads straight for a grass-covered peak. Which it then skirts around in one of the best false summit fakeouts I've encountered in a while. Yes, I am a dork because in retrospect it is obvious that this could not be the summit. Oh well, at least no one was with me to point it out. As you skirt right off this summit the real peak is ahead and still much work to do.

You scramble along a ridge to the base of the peak. The final push to the summit is all that's left. This however is no small task. This last push is a bruiser, hands-on thighs huffing and puffing to the top (hamstring singing along all the while). Here fantastic panoramic views greet you in all directions: Catalinas, Rincons, Galiuros, even Pinalenos on the horizon. It was clear, calm, and pretty cold up here... awesome.

2005-11-28 fricknaley