Although we passed by Picacho Peak State Park on numerous occasions when we lived in Tucson, we only visited the park once. That is a shame, because it is an interesting area just off of I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix.

The day we visited there were a few poppies in bloom, but we had missed the main flowering. The park is known for its rich carpets of Mexican Goldpoppy. In early spring, following wet winters, a dense stand of the annual poppies will cover the desert in a blanket of gold.

Hunter Trail

Our main reason for visiting the park was to climb Picacho Peak itself. The trailhead for the Hunter Trail is off of the Barrett Scenic Loop. The trail crosses a short distance of Sonoran Desert then begins to climb immediately. I remember the trail as steep, slippery from loose, finely crushed rock, and narrow in many places. In addition, there was a good number of hikers along the route, many of whom were inexperienced and wearing only tennis shoes with no lugs. They were having a difficult time getting traction on several stretches, especially where the trail was steep.

I don't remember, exactly, why we didn't complete the hike to the top of the peak. We may have been running out of time, or the day had grown too hot by the time we got to the steel cables. We did go down the cables, but there were so many people jammed up there that the hike was no longer enjoyable. Somewhere in there we decided to call it quits and were determined to return when the crowds had thinned and the temperatures were cooler. Unfortunately, we never made it back.