Greenhouse Trail #248, AZ

Many Forest visitors, upon driving the road to Herb Martyr Campground and seeing Winn Falls tumbling 400 feet off the north shoulder of Sanders Peak, start looking for a way to get a closer look. The best way to get a close look, relatively speaking, is via the Greenhouse Trail. This route from canyon bottom to high country starts at the end of a 4-wheel drive road (FR 713) off the Herb Martyr Road (FR 42A) and switchbacks its way into the Chiricahua high country. Along the way, it passes an overlook that presents a fine view of the falls. Remember that in early summer it's liable to be dry and in winter it becomes a 400 foot icicle, but even if it's only a bare cliff, it's still worth a look.


Beyond the Winn Falls viewpoint, the Greenhouse Trail continues climbing to a high divide between Cima and Greenhouse canyons that presents more good views. From this scenic vantage point, the trail follows a more gradual course into a mossy basin where big trees and wildflowers flourish on the moisture provided by a perennial stretch of Cima Creek. In this idyllic setting you'll find a couple of old Forest Service cabins where Forest officers once spent spring and summer. It is a restful spot to view history before completing the last stretch of the 1,600 foot climb to the Crest Trail #270 at Cima Park.

An alternate way to access the Greenhouse Trail is via the Basin Trail off Forest Road 42. This friendly pathway follows a moderate gradient through oak/pine woodland, past Welch Seep, to a junction with the Greenhouse Trail at the end of FR 713. The Basin Trail is a good place to see white-tailed deer and other wildlife. This trail is also accessible via the Ash Spring Trail #247A out of Herb Martyr Campground.

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2008-06-12 HAZ_Hikebot