Johnson Peak Loop

Coronado National Forest, E Turkey Creek Rd., Pearce, AZ 85625

Latitude 31.8494 Longitude -109.3256

Deep within the Chiricahua Mountains at the end of E. Turkey Creek Road is the trailhead for Johnson’s Peak. I accidentally found this trail after receiving a rare bird alert from NBHC AZ/NS Birds list. The bird that had everyone’s attention was the Crescent-chested Warbler.

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Since I was only 2 hours from where the bird had been spotted I decided this may be my only chance to see this unique species. So as all great birders I arose before the sun and made the trek to the bird woods. I arrived at 7:00am and found the place filled with COVID19 mask clad bird enthusiasts gazing high into the trees. The star attraction was awake and active high in the tree canopy. There were three of them flitting from tree to tree and making the distinct buzz-zzzzzz call. It was quite exciting to say the least and I was thrilled to see a bird that so few ever get to see. As a disclaimer… the photos above are not mine but from a birder that is apart of the “aznmbirds” group (sorry I forget who posted it).

While observing the warbler and other birds I notice a trailhead sign for the Johnson’s Peak. The sign said it was 2.2 miles to the peak and 4.0 miles to the Lookout. Since it was only 9:00am I thought what could it hurt to at least go to the peak and check out the view. Who knows I may even see more birds.

The trail climbing to the peak is awesome! Although steep it lead me through a forest of large pine (Arizona… it think) and Douglas Fir. The Douglas fir, which isn’t a true fir, has a unique “squirrel butts” cone. Can you see the squirrel butts? Look for the squirrel’s tail and hind legs.

The forest was open, quiet and cool. I took my time looking for birds, which made the climb less stressful. I was lucky because as I gained elevation a few unique birds that were not present at the trailhead began to appear. I was most excited to see a Mexican Chickadee. This was a life bird for me and one that many people travel to these parts to see. I also was treated to the Greater Pewee, Yellow-rumped Warbler and the Stellar’s Jay.

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After a mile the trail enters a burned area with a lot of new undergrowth. This area was more exposed to the sun and provided a different feel and view.

As I approached the top of the trail, the path was littered with very large blow downs. This resulted in either climbing over large fallen trees or finding an alternative route. With patience and care it is easy to navigate and quickly I found myself at the peak.

The view from the top is for the most part obstructed by trees but there were a few places to see a great vista. Because of the conditions of the trail, I didn’t realize I had made it to the peak and assumed it was only at a saddle or ridge. So I took a left turn and continued down the trail. After a mile I spotted the lookout and I realized I had over shot my goal.

There is a trail that leads to the lookout but I was tired and decided to pass because I had at least a 4 miles ahead of me. The views were already awesome, so I took a 20 minute break and enjoyed the sights from 9350 feet!

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After my break I had a decision to make, do I return the way I came? Or continue and finish a loop that I had seen on the Alltrails App. If I continued, the loop would add 2 miles to my hike. As it typically the case, my curiosity of what new sites and sounds lay ahead convinced to go forward. This was both a great and poor decision.

In order to continue the loop I hopped on the Crest Trail. The Crest Trail forms the bottom portion of the loop. This trail is not well maintained and not easy to follow. It is important to stay focused and to look for signs such as cut logs, boot tracks and horse droppings in order to stay on trail. Luckily the trail followed the crest of the mountains and there was little up and down sections.

This is a great section as it is an easy walk and it offered some stunning views especially to the east. It also had a few unique rock outcroppings such as painted rock, that would be fun to explore or climb if I had more time. Although I was tempted to explore I wanted to return to the jeep before sunset so I pushed on.

As I walked across the crest Cochise Peak to the north came into view. It is said you can see the face of Cochise if you trace the online of the peak. Can you see him laying down looking up at the sky?

I continued to follow the Crest Trail until I reached the Mormon Ridge Trail junction. After following the Mormon Ridge Trail about .6 mile there is a junction for the Mormon Canyon Trail. It is important not to miss this junction as I did (big mistake). Normally I follow my movements per my Alltrails app allowing me to no if I have wandered off trail, but as fate would have it my phone died and I missed the turn and I continued down the Mormon Ridge Trail. This was a costly mistake which added at least 2 miles to my hike. The end result was instead of a 9.2 mile hike it became a grueling 11+ mile hike.

In addition to adding extra miles, the Mormon Ridge trail is very narrow and horribly marked. The trail runs along a very steep and rocky (talus) slope and is quite treacherous. I found myself slipping, tripping and even falling on my fanny often. I also found myself lost and off trail many times requiring me to retrace my steps as the trail was overgrown with chest high bushes. I do not know the condition of the Mormon Canyon trail but it had to better than this trail.

Finally I reached Turkey Creek Road and started my one mile road walk to the sanctuary of the Jeep. The road follows Turkey Creek, past a nice waterfall and though the Morse Canyon NFS Campground. Once at the Jeep I removed my hiking shoes, drank a warm bottle of water and watched a flock of Wild Turkey scratch for food in the picnic area.

This is a great hike prior to the Mormon Canyon Trail split. The climb to Johnson’s Peak and the walk along the Crest Trail is awesome. It would be fun to lose track of time for a few days in the high country of the Chirichuas. With all the rock outcroppings, canyons and waterfalls in the area you would not run out of things to explore and I bet the stars in the night sky are awesome.

Don’t miss exploring the Chirichuas it if you are in the area!

~Slow-LEE hiking