Butcher Jones Trail

Where:

• Butcher Jones Trail, Arizona

 

When:

• February 9, 2019

 

Who:

• Ed, Marilyn, Dave, Diane, Kevin, Joanne, Rob, Meike

 

 

Trailhead:

• take the North Bush Highway a half hour out of the north end of Mesa and turn right just after the Saguaro Lake Marina
• the trailhead is two miles down the road at the Butcher Jones Recreation Site

 

Degree of difficulty:

• it is 10 km out to Burro Cove and back
• 180 meters of elevation gain on easy to moderate terrain
• the trail is very easy to follow and well maintained
• the footing is good, but you need to be careful not to brush up against any of the cacti while enjoying the panoramic views
• it took us just over 2 hours for the round trip at a leisurely pace

 

 

Interesting notes:

• you need to purchase a Tonto National Forest pass ahead of time which we did at a gas station in Mesa ($8/vehicle for the day) although you could do so at the Saguaro Lake Marina
• the spectacular mountain and lake views provide a stark contrast to the flat desert area around Phoenix
• there has been more precipitation than normal this year, so the normally brown desert landscape had a vibrant green tone to it
• there was a short ¼ km trail near Burro Cove that jutted off to the right and likely provided a different view of one of the narrow channels
• we saw lots of activity on the lake including fishing, boating, and paddleboarders
• the trail got very busy on the way back, so there were frequent stops to let groups of people pass on the narrow trail
• our friends, who have a place in Mesa, noted that it was fun to rent a pontoon boat or take the guided cruise around the lake on the two-story Desert Belle excursion boat
• Saguaro Lake is the most accessible of the four reservoirs on the Salt River