Passage #12 - Oracle Ridge

Location:  Mt. Lemmon to American Flag Trailhead

Length:  22.0 miles

Southern Trailhead:  Mt. Lemmon Trailhead - FR 11
- GPS Coordinates:  32.42922° N, 110.80622° W

Northern Trailhead:  American Flag Trailhead - FR 38
- GPS Coordinates:  32.58090° N, 110.72039° W

Trail Route Description:  This passage begins at the junction of the Mt. Lemmon Trail (#5) and the Sutherland Trail (#6). From here the route utilizes the following trails:  the Sutherland Trail (#6), the Samaniego Ridge Trail (#7), the Canada del Oro Trail (#4), the Red Ridge Trail (#2), the Catalina Camp Trail (#401), the Oracle Ridge Trail (#1), and the Cody Trail (#9) which ends at The American Flag Trailhead.

Difficulty:  Moderate to Difficult

Season(s):  All year (snow can be present at higher elevations after winter storms and lower elevations can be quite warm in summer).

Water:  Water sources are very limited along this passage. Plan to bring your own water.

Notes/Warnings:

• All water along this passage should be purified prior to use.
• Signing consists of flexible fiberglass signposts with the Arizona Trail decal.
• Good campsites can be found at Shovel Spring and along the Canada del Oro.

Resources:

• USGS Topographic Maps: Mount Lemmon, Mount Bigelow, Oracle and Campo Bonito.
• Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District.
• BLM Information Center maps.

For more information, contact:

• The Passage Steward
• Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District, 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road, Tucson, AZ 85750   (520) 749-8700.
• BLM Information Center  (602) 417-9300.

Current Trail Information:
4/2009 - The section of these passages near the junction of the Mt. Lemmon Trail and the Sutherland Trail has been impacted by a fire in the Romero Canyon area and is closed. Contact the Coronado National Forest Tucson office to see when it will be re-opened. 1/2008 - The after effects of a 2003 forest fire have severely impacted this passage. It is very overgrown in several areas especially the Canada del Oro trail. Users are advised to not take the Canada del Oro route. Instead, users are advised to follow the Mt. Lemmon Trail into the Summerhaven community and then follow the Oracle Ridge Trail and reconnect with the AZT at Dan's Saddle.