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 Reporter |
Summary: The trail begins at the same trailhead as Finger Rock Canyon Trail. Shortly (within 50 yards) you'll come to a junction and you'll take the right trail up to Pontotac. At one time the Pontatoc Ridge Trail was called the Old Spanish Mine Trail. There are some old abandoned mines at the end of the trail. Be careful around these dangerous old mines if you happen to travel up to them. The Pontatoc Ridge Trail branches off the Pontatoc Trail about 0.8 miles from the trailhead. You'll climb out of the canyon and head up to the ridge top and to follow it north to Pontatoc Saddle. At the saddle you have great views of Tucson and the Santa Rita and Tucson Mountains. You'll also get a closer look at the Pontatoc Cliffs and the abandoned mine shafts. Trailhead: Drive north from Tucson to Oracle Road (US 89) to Ina Road. Turn right (east) on Ina and drive about a mile to Skyline Road which branches off to the south (right). Follow Skyline (have to make a left to stay on Skyline) to Alvernon Way and turn left (north) to the trailhead and parking lot at the end of the pavement. (Lat:32.33705 Lon:-110.91053) Trail Guides for Pontatoc Ridge Trail: Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Winter, User Groups: Hikers, Ranger Contact: Santa Catalina Ranger District - (520) 749-8700 - www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Sean Benesh, who has posted 21 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Page 1 of 2 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Victoria on 12/3/2011 Cool city views, not as challenging as I thought it would be. The mines at the end are pretty neat!
Reviewed by S&T on 3/27/2011 Whew! Just returned from hiking this trail, and not even all the way. I have asthma and that first .8 mile was rough for me. It's beautiful back in there though and I'd do it again. Once you get to the Ridge trail, it's pretty easy. The parking lot says "Finger Rock trail", and the Ridge Trail isn't shown on the sign when you first take off, but it's off the main Pontatoc Trail. We saw lots of birds, and the ocotillo are just starting to bud. I'd advise taking a hiking stick. Great views of Finger Rock!
Reviewed by RCE on 10/28/2010 pontatoc ridge trail hiked 10/22/2010, this is an excellent hike, very nice views and never too steep, great for out of town guests, several different stopping points along the way with really nice views both down valley and across to finger rock canyon, we thought the little notch/pass at approx 4200' was an ideal stopping point with new views east toward ventana, beyond that the trail was not too exciting (unless you want to poke around the mines), cheers...
Reviewed by RCE on 10/28/2010 Error: Reserved Word Found: ; 
Reviewed by DJP on 5/23/2010 great hike but people need to park correctly in the parking lot too many hikers are parking on the red curb side which is a fire lane.
Reviewed by David on 4/25/2010 My first visit to this mine was in February of 2009. At that time the end of the mine opened into a ten foot high chamber with a ledge that was the home of about a half a dozen bats. Upon my return in April of 2010 a cave-in occurred, probably within a few months blocking the chamber area of the end of the mine shaft leaving soft, moist dirt and rock. You still can travel the 150 foot horizontal mine shaft which turns right for 50 feet and then ends about another 50 at the cave-in area. Bring a high-powered light to illuminate both your path and the multi-colored crystals on the walls. Watch for a few 5 foot low ceiling rocks that love to bump against your head, but the general clearance is 6 feet with a wall width of about 6 feet.
Reviewed by monica on 9/16/2009 We hiked this to the mines. It was strenous at times but the mines and cliffs were worth it. On our way down we passed a small child with his parents. I couldnt believe the child made it. I would hike this trail again.
Reviewed by AJM on 2/5/2009 This is my favorite workout trail. It is perfect for getting in shape. Up and down can easily be done in less than 2 hours. Heck, the wife doesn't even know that I was gone. Great view too. What a wonderful gym. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Arizona Hiking, Arizona Trails, Arizona Hikes, Pima County Hiking, Pima County Trails, Pima County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
