The Mint Spring Trail in the Santa Catalina Mountains leads, as you might guess, to a wild garden of mint.
See wildflowers, raspberries, greenery on Mint Spring Trail hike
Wild raspberries grow in red splendor along a winding path and tempt the taste buds of passing hikers.
Wild mint wafts subtle fragrance into the air around a mountain spring.
Wildflowers celebrate summer in hues of yellow, purple and red.
All kinds of things are growing high and wild at this time of year along the Mint Spring Trail in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.
OF FLOWERS AND FIRE
The 1.6-mile trail, which connects with other routes in the area, takes hikers past thick clumps of ferns and colorful clusters of wildflowers and berries.
Some effects remain from a wildfire in 2003 ago that burned almost all of the trees along parts of the trail. Aspen and locust trees have come back in force, but the tall conifers that once shaded the route have yet to reach their former splendor.
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APTLY NAMED SPRING
Mint Spring, about a mile from the trailhead, is one of the more reliable water sources in the Catalinas, and it nurtures a wonderful wild garden of pungent mint.
A small wooden box collects water issuing from the spring. It might be inviting to sip water directly from the spring, but it's important to filter or treat the water to avoid contaminants and disease.
Hikers who follow the Mint Spring Trail 1.6 miles to Marshall Saddle can pick up other routes, including the Marshall Gulch Trail and the Aspen Trail.
GET TO THE TRAILHEAD
Take Tanque Verde Road to the Catalina Highway and follow the highway past mile marker 24 to the village of Summerhaven.
Drive south through the village and watch for a right turnoff for the Carter Canyon Road. Follow the road to a broad turnaround area and park there. Find the trailhead on the left before you reach a boundary with private property.
