Rincon Mountain District (Saguaro National Park East)
The Douglas Spring Trail hike can be as easy or hard as you would like depending on the direction you go. Because we had a time constriction (a reservation for lunch) and we had never hiked here before, we decided to start out conservatively so we took the Carrillo Trail initially.
The first two miles were essentially flat and we were pretty much by ourselves. It was a nice break from the tougher hikes we have been on this year. The trail wound through saguaros, cholla, and ocotillo. We kept an eye on our time and were concerned we might not get around the full loop in time for lunch.
We backtracked and took a right back at the junction to follow Douglas Spring Trail and headed up, and up, and up. It has about a 400 foot elevation gain although this felt like 2,000 feet at the rate we were going. This part of the hike was rocky with a few scrambles and was actually really crowded. I was a little disappointed with that. I do need to keep in mind that the national parks here are very popular especially during the Spring break time periods. OK, plus it was a Saturday.
To get to this area of Saguaro East just take Speedway straight east. although there are a few dead end signs that just means you are getting closer. Parking is just before the entrance to Tanque Verde Ranch (fun place to eat and take in a little ranch atmosphere). Get there early to get a place to park. If the lot is full there is also street parking.
Today’s post is brought to you by the A-to-Z blogging challenge and the letter D.
arbitrarydustbunnies 
This sounds like a lovely trail to hike 🙂
Kai
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