DESTINATION Tarantula Trail - MSPN 1 Photoset
2025-04-06 | |
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| Hiking | 7.12 Miles |
760 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.12 Miles | 2 Hrs 12 Mns | | 3.24 mph |
| 760 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Midday hike in one of the greatest trail systems in the valley. Started from the Pima/Dynamite TH around 11am. Trails were busy! I was out there with an out of people trying to enjoy the last day of spring. I wanted to hit the Tarantula Trail. Took the Latigo in to the Hackamore and the Hackamore over to the beginning of the Tarantula. Got on the Tarantula at 3.2 miles. Like almost all the trails in the preserve, the Tarantula was a real treat. It doesn’t get the same use as the Latigo or even the Hackamore, so the track was more narrow, more intimate and did a fantastic jog of weaving through the rock landscape. Beautiful! The Tarantula crosses the West Express Trail at 3.67 and continues on into a signed “black diamond” biking area. This was not a problem for hiking, but for bikers, this could be a more challenging stretch. The Tarantula ended when it junctured with the Dare A Sarah Trail at 3.9 miles. From here I took Dare A Sarah, Rock Tank and Hawknest to get back to the TH.
Very nice hike. All the trails were very enjoyable. Over the years, this preserve has been steadily expanding and improving. I noticed that this trail is described at being just under .5 miles. On my hike today, the trail was .7 miles long. I’m sure this is one of the trails that has expanded since its initial description. Also, I came across three trails not currently in HAZ: Dare A Sarah, Scorpion and the Via Dona Trail. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there were a couple of others. Like I said, it was a busy day on the trails with a lot of people enjoying the 70 degree temps. Encountered 38 bikers, 29 hikers and 1 trail runner. Saw a lot of lizards, couple of chipmunks, a chuckwalla and a hawk enjoying the thermals. |
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