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| | | Tin Trough and Baby Granite, AZ | | | |
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Tin Trough and Baby Granite, AZ
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| Hiking | 7.90 Miles |
703 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.90 Miles | 3 Hrs 38 Mns | | 2.24 mph |
| 703 ft AEG | 6 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | An out and back hike totalling eight miles that starts and ends at the Williamson Valley Trailhead north of Prescott, AZ. From the Williamson Valley Trailhead you have the choice of heading west on Tin Trough Springs Trail #308 or heading south on Willow Trail #347. This route follows Tin Trough Springs Trail, except for the jog south at Mint Wash in the official route. I've hiked Tin Trough Springs Trail several times in the last ten years and almost always continue straight at the wash as there is rarely enough water in the wash to require using the official route (although the first time I saw the wash, a couple miles downstream at the crossing for Almosta Trail #622, Mint Creek was so wide and deep with snow melt that I turned around and walked home).
Upon reaching the junction with Baby Granite Trail #320 (hikearizona doesn't use the name, but that's the name on the sign--see photo), this route continues on Baby Granite Trail to a little short of halfway from the junction with Tin Trough Springs Trail to Baby Granite Trail's terminal junction with North Granite Trail #671. Approximately two miles from the Williamson Valley Trailhead is a gate with "308" marking the entrance to the Granite Mountain Wilderness (although there is an earlier sign as Tin Trough Springs Trail passes through a corner of the Granite Mountain Wilderness). West of the "308" gate, all of this route is within the Granite Mountain Wilderness, as the route does not reach the portion of Baby Granite Trail north of the Granite Mountain Wilderness.
In addition to crossing Mint Wash 1.8 miles from the trailhead, Tin Trough Springs Trail crosses several washes that are tributaries of Mint Creek when there is water in the washes. West of the #308 gate there are numerous granite boulders in a variety of formations, a few of which are in the November 15, 2025 photoset with others in my photosets from other hikes along Tin Trough Springs Trail.
Near the Williamson Valley Trailhead the trees are mostly junipers. In the Granite Mountain Wilderness there are many more pinyon pines. Along the many washes are a few deciduous trees, many of which had yellow leaves on November 15. The small flora along this route is constantly changing. One time out of the couple dozen hikes I've hiked Tin Trough Springs Trail, there was a several-yard stretch about a half mile east of the "308" gate where prairie clover was so thick on both sides that the trail surface was invisible. There was a shallow "V" on the tops of the knee-high prairie clover indicating the route of the trail. That was the only time I have seen prairie clover anywhere along the route of this hike.
On November 15, 2025, most of the time west of the "308" gate I was accompanied by small yellow butterflies, up to 9 at a time. There may have been one hundred or more, because I can't believe I was being followed by the same butterflies. These butterflies provided most of the color in the Granite Mountain Wilderness. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
several trees in the washes had yellow leaves and some three-leaf sumac bushes were yellow to red-orange (see photos) |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
southwestern mock verain, fall tansyaster, common yarrow, appache plume with namesake seedheads and as yet unidentified plants |
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