DESTINATION Generic 245 Photosets
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| Black Cave - Castle Hot Springs, AZ | |
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| | Black Cave - Castle Hot Springs , AZ | | | |
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Black Cave - Castle Hot Springs , AZ
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| Hiking | 4.75 Miles |
400 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.75 Miles | 5 Hrs | | 0.95 mph |
| 400 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
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| no partners | | We had originally planned on hiking Governors peak, but on the drive out we decided to check out a cave shown on the topo instead.
We parked near Squaw Mesa and followed some old jeep trails to a point NE of the cave. From there we hiked SW on what may or may not have been a trail over a low saddle and then down a wash a short ways to the cave. We found the cave without much trouble, but there was a large bee hive just above the entrance. It looked more like a deep alcove than a true cave, but the unnerving buzzing noise kept our exploration short.
Since it was still early, we decided to add a few miles by following some of the old trails in the area to see if we could get a view of Castle Hot Springs. From the cave we continued following the trail down the wash to where it intersected with a pack trail shown on the map. From this point, for all intents and purposes, the trail shown on the topo no longer exists. Using a map and compass though, we stayed more or less on track. There were a couple places where there were visible signs of the old trail confirming we were on route, but the desert has claimed the rest. About 1/4 mile from Castle Hot Springs the trail made an appearance and was easy enough to follow to where it dead ends at the top of a small peak just to the East of and above the Castle Hot Springs main property.
Disclaimer: We only had a topo map, and it did not show where private property in the area was located. We did not pass through any gates, over/under any fences, or see any signage indicating we were crossing any, but I can't say for sure that we didn't. The topo was however necessary to stay on track, and I wouldn't recommend the hike for anybody that didn't have decent route finding and map skills. |
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