Lemmon Rock Trail #12

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This trail extends from a trailhead just below Mt. Lemmon’s summit to the Wilderness of Rock deep within the picturesque area of the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. It is a very steep trail, earning its “most difficult” rating by climbing nearly 2,000 feet in a short two miles. The views are worth it, though, especially since the most expansive of them can be seen from a rocky overlook at the top of Lemmon Rock at the end of a short spur off the main trail.

From this overlook, which also serves as the location for a historic Forest Service lookout cabin, you can see much of southeastern Arizona. Closer at hand, the views are just as impressive: Rappel Rock, the saw-toothed edge of Pusch Ridge and the upper reaches of Sabino Canyon. The point at which the spur to the lookout and the main trail part company, is plainly marked.

From this junction, the Lemmon Rock Trail drops steeply through a shady stand of ponderosa pines. At various points, views of the spectacular rock formations which form the upper limit of the Wilderness of Rock can be seen. The trail is often eroded and rocky near its junction with the Wilderness of Rock Trail #44 at Lemmon Creek, which offers the only dependable water along this route.