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Cove Canyon Trail - 2 members in 10 triplogs have rated this an average 3 ( 1 to 5 best )
10 triplogs
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Feb 18 2025
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 Guides 4
 Photos 4,732
 Triplogs 2,607

55 male
 Joined Sep 29 2004
 Small Town USA
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Feb 18 2025
SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607
Hiking4.50 Miles 950 AEG
Hiking4.50 Miles
950 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Always a nice winter hike!
Standard route along the jeep road with some off trail down the canyon to return.
Highlight was the large quartz outcropping at the saddle.
:D
_____________________
https://www.instagram.com/skyislander22/
 
Jan 11 2023
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 Guides 4
 Photos 4,732
 Triplogs 2,607

55 male
 Joined Sep 29 2004
 Small Town USA
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 11 2023
SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607
Hiking5.00 Miles 1,000 AEG
Hiking5.00 Miles
1,000 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Perfect time of the year for this one.
My favorite part is always visiting the huge quartz outcropping.
Rested down in the hidden valley's meadow.
Stopped at the Gillespie wash windmill for sunset before returning home.
Lot's of drainage water flowing throughout.
:D
_____________________
https://www.instagram.com/skyislander22/
 
Sep 30 2017
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 Guides 4
 Photos 4,732
 Triplogs 2,607

55 male
 Joined Sep 29 2004
 Small Town USA
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 30 2017
SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607
Hiking5.60 Miles 1,125 AEG
Hiking5.60 Miles
1,125 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Got up with the sunrise to see the Pinalenos socked in and the valley under a thick overcast.
Had the Greasewoods on my mind the night before, just hadn't picked a trail and decided to pick something on the drive in on Stockton Pass ..... I decided on the Cove.
Got hiking up the jeep road at 6am and here are the facts -
A tad chilly on the way up to the saddle.
Most of the grasses are now in autumn color.
My socks and shoes learned the hard way that it is now gaiter season.
The entire trail looked overcast cool, the end meadow and corrals were beautiful.
Cove Canyon wash was dry, but I followed it down anyways ..... glad I did, the rock formations down were scenic.
Picked a fight with some barbed wire and lost ..... damn it!
Encountered a baby toad, a cow & had several vulture/hawks above me ..... also witnessed the fastest snake ever cross the road on the drive out.
Overcast to start and the fasted break up of clouds into almost clear sky I have ever seen.
Cove Canyon was a good choice, I enjoyed my morning!
:)
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light

dry Cove Canyon Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Cove Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Cove and all the spring boxes were full.
_____________________
https://www.instagram.com/skyislander22/
 
Jan 30 2016
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 Guides 4
 Photos 4,732
 Triplogs 2,607

55 male
 Joined Sep 29 2004
 Small Town USA
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 30 2016
SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607
Hiking4.90 Miles 1,025 AEG
Hiking4.90 Miles
1,025 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners partners
Abqkathy
weavejd
It's been over 2 years since I've hiked down into Cove Canyon's hidden valley.
'Twas just as I had remembered it, a beautiful little bowl valley of granite boulders, shady oaks & winter grasses surrounded up high by scenic bouldered peaks. I liked it, as did my partners on their first trip into the cove!
We took the old jeep trail down to Cove Creek then off-trailed up to a nice valley overlook before returning back the way we came. A good amount of flowing snow melt drainages were crossed and all of the water troughs by the meadow were full. Was happy to see that the Greasewood Mountains were still holding a decent amount of snow despite these last few warm days we've had ..... that was a bonus!

Very good time spent in the Cove and with my visiting NM friends!

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Cove Canyon Light flow Light flow
_____________________
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Jul 16 2013
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 Guides 4
 Photos 4,732
 Triplogs 2,607

55 male
 Joined Sep 29 2004
 Small Town USA
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Jul 16 2013
SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607
Hiking5.50 Miles 1,050 AEG
Hiking5.50 Miles
1,050 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Woke up this morning to find the whole valley in a complete overcast and the upper 3rd of the Pinalenos socked in with thick clouds! It looked more like winter up there then summer, but not totally surprising due to the huge storm that moved in and dropped rain all night & early morning across Graham county. Anyways, I had planned on a high forest hike today, but that was not gonna happen so I hit up Grahams little brother to the south (Greasewoods) and hiked up into Cove Canyon.

Arrived at the TH around 2pm to perfect 78deg temps and hiked in on the jeep trail. This was my first trip out in 2 years and I had forgotten just how scenic this hidden little cove valley is! I soon arrived at the trails end by the meadow to hear water running down the big wash from last nights rains. This area had some good flooding during the night which I followed down the canyon to many cool little light chocolate waterfalls! I then off-trailed across the valley hooking back up with the trail at the high saddle and took it back down to my truck.

I was hoping for pines today, but Cove Canyon was a great one to hold me over until next week!
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Velvet Mite
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light
_____________________
https://www.instagram.com/skyislander22/
 
Aug 10 2011
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 Guides 4
 Photos 4,732
 Triplogs 2,607

55 male
 Joined Sep 29 2004
 Small Town USA
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 10 2011
SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607
Hiking5.13 Miles 1,124 AEG
Hiking5.13 Miles   2 Hrs   21 Mns   4.34 mph
1,124 ft AEG   1 Hour   10 Mns Break
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
My 2nd trip into Cove Canyon. First visit was back in December under gloomy winter conditions so I put it on my summer "to-see" list. Headed up the steep jeep road to the saddle and then dropped down into the very green hidden valley below. Looks like the canyon has received a lot of rain recently as all the creeks & drainages were flowing with water, quite a surprise! Made my way down to the meadows & spring before following Cove creek down the canyon a little ways to a few small waterfalls. Sat and chatted with some of the cattle back at the meadows before hiking back out and was treated to a very nice sunset as I arrived back at my truck!
Wildlife seen on this trip - 1 gopher snake, 7 deer (2 bucks), 3 javelina, 2 tarantulas & way too many cows to count.
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Gopher Snake  White Tailed Deer
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Spring Box
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
_____________________
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Dec 16 2010
avatar

 Guides 4
 Photos 4,732
 Triplogs 2,607

55 male
 Joined Sep 29 2004
 Small Town USA
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Dec 16 2010
SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607
Hiking5.53 Miles 1,000 AEG
Hiking5.53 Miles   2 Hrs   38 Mns   2.10 mph
1,000 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Headed up this trail not really expecting much more than just a good exercise hike. First mile and a half up the steep jeep road was uneventful with some decent views and a few interesting rock formations. Made it up to the saddle, passed through the gate and from here the whole area opened up to some very nice mountain views all the way down to the stock tanks. Added another mile to this trail with a little off-trail exploring up onto some nice rock slab formations with killer views down into the canyon. Most of this trip was under overcast skies making photography a real challenge and it ended up raining on me 3 seperate times on the hike back. I ended up really liking this trail and will be back to explore more of the area when the weather is better!
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  2 archives
Mar 21 2010
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 Triplogs 2

41 male
 Joined Mar 03 2010
 Safford, AZ
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Mar 21 2010
SarcasticDwarf • Triplogs 2
Hiking4.25 Miles 924 AEG
Hiking4.25 Miles
924 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
A few notes on this hike:
* Encountered a number of cattle in the first section.
* There is one section in the initial climb that has loose rock that can be a bit tricky when coming down (due to the combination of unsteady footing and the angle).
* Watch for old barbed wire at ankle level when going off trail or on trail anywhere near a fence crossing.
* There is a lot of interesting off trail hiking at the end of the route. Nothing specific, just nice scenery and terrain.
_____________________
 
Nov 12 2008
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 Guides 170
 Routes 148
 Photos 5,914
 Triplogs 2,097

48 male
 Joined Apr 12 2004
 Tucson, AZ
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Nov 12 2008
PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097
Hiking4.25 Miles 924 AEG
Hiking4.25 Miles   2 Hrs      2.13 mph
924 ft AEG
 
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Much better temps on this late afternoon trip. Drove a herd of cattle off the trail with mooing and my ogre-ish stature on the way up. Explored the Cove Spring area, looking for the source of the water, photographing the golden leaved ash trees, and wishing I had backpacked in. The Cove had a very welcoming feel today, and I hated to leave. It's a nice little hike.
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Cove Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
There isn't any visible, flowing source of water at Cove Spring, but the wash at the spring area had small pools for 200 feet, and the cattle trough had 50+ gallons of slimy water in it. There was evidence of cattle around the spring. Both sources would need to be filtered/treated.
_____________________
"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan
 
Apr 23 2008
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 Guides 170
 Routes 148
 Photos 5,914
 Triplogs 2,097

48 male
 Joined Apr 12 2004
 Tucson, AZ
Cove Canyon TrailTucson, AZ
Cove Canyon Trail
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 23 2008
PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097
Hiking4.25 Miles 924 AEG
Hiking4.25 Miles   1 Hour   51 Mns   2.30 mph
924 ft AEG
 
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
After trying to hike this trail all winter, and an aborted attempt on April 9 due to cold rain, I was determined to hike to Cove Spring. As I approached the trailhead on this rather warm day, a roadside sign said "NO STOPPING: PRISONERS WORKING". I wasn't going to let that stop me! Besides, when is prison labor NOT used in Graham County? :lol: So off I went, hiking and searching for adventure. The sun showed no mercy, but a nice breeze did. The sound of chainsaws from the prisoners who were cutting trees by the highway floated up from far below, but that soon faded. The scenery on the way up to the high saddle was decent, but the views of the Pinalenos were outstanding. Once on top, I rounded the corner from the saddle into the hidden valley: "Whoa. This is cool!" :) I took a short break atop a boulder beneath a canopy of oaks, enjoying the breeze and the view of this cool little stronghold. I continued on across the valley, enjoying the attractive mix of emory oaks, junipers, grassy parks, boulders and peaks, and looking for the end of the trail. I found the end at a little over 2 miles, then backtracked a few hundred yards to find Cove Spring. I found the little spring under an ash tree, in the bottom of Cove Creek. Nearby was a concrete water trough, brimming with cool water and green algae. I decided this would make a fine place for a cool weather backpack sometime. For the return trip, I was thankful to have the sun on my back and not in my eyes. I arrived back at my truck, and was happy to not see any tickets on it or prisoners breaking into the cab :lol:
It was an enjoyable little hike, and one I would do again.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Banana Yucca  Bear grass  Fendler's Hedgehog Cactus  Fleabane  Gooding's Verbena
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Moderate
_____________________
"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan
 
average hiking speed 2.17 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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