Elephant Mountain Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Views · Wildflowers

Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area is open Sunday to Thursday 6 am to 8 pm; Friday & Saturday 6 am to 10 pm, 365 days a year.

All public access is non-motorized. Remain on designated "open" trails and roads.

The Elephant Mountain Trail starts from the Tortuga Trail about two miles in from the Spur Cross Ranch parking lot. After a short stretch on an old road, it descends quickly into a wash, follows the wash bottom northwest for about 0.3 miles (look for cairns and footprints), then climbs out of the wash to the saddle directly west of Point 3342. This is a good place for a snack/lunch break since there are good views from here.

From the saddle, the Elephant Mountain Trail descends through cholla gardens (be carefull of these) and stands of saguaros to end at the Spur Cross Trail about 1.8 miles west of the Dragonfly Trail.

The trail, while rocky in a few spots, is well-signed and easy to follow. There are no particularly steep or narrow sections.

History:
The trail passes the Elephant Mountain Fortress Site atop Point 3342. This is a closed culturally sensitive archaeology site containing a large rock wall thought to be built by the Hohokam approximately 800 years ago. Parts of the rock wall still stand about six feet high and three to four feet thick. Although the wall might have been used for defensive purposes (hence the fortress name) there is not much evidence to support this. Some archaeologists suggest that the site may have been used as a lookout and/or signaling station. The fortress site along with other sensitive archaeological sites in Spur Cross are closed to the general public and access is generally only allowed when accompanied by park officials.