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| Hiking | 12.29 Miles |
1,085 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.29 Miles | 4 Hrs 17 Mns | | 3.01 mph |
| 1,085 ft AEG | 12 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | First time hiking Estrella Mountain Park. Picked this loop trail because it seemed like a nice distance to hike. It was a bit chilly when we first started, especially in the shade, so tried to walk quickly to stay warm. It took a couple of miles to warm up but that worked. A lot of my recent hikes have been on very rocky or steep or both trails. This was a nice change. The trail was fairly level except for a couple of climbs through passes, and mostly nice and even to walk on. So we were able to make good time and even with a few stops along the way managed to finish the 12 miles in about 4 hours.
The Rainbow Valley Trail stayed in view of civilization most of the way, so it didn't feel too wilderness-y. After the first saddle the trail is out of view of civilization for a while which is nice. We saw a few mountain bikers and a couple of other hikers, but for the most part we had the trail to ourselves. Lots of saguaros for the entire distance. Towards the end of the Gadsden trail leg we were again in view of civilization. We walked past a stone cross someone had built along Gadsden. We weren't sure if it was an "X" or a "+" but looking at the satellite view on google maps it's actually a cross. Apparently someone didn't think the beauty of the landscape was good enough and had to build 3-foot stone walls in the shape of a cross.
This hike was a nice break from the usual steep and rocky trails around AZ. The only thing this trail lacked was a real destination, but the scenery was nice and it was a very nice morning of hiking. |
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