Charouleau Gap - Arizona
Posted by: 
Team2002
N 32° 31.004 W 110° 48.714
12S E 517666 N 3597729
A 4WD road takes you to Charouleau Gap at the northern part of the Santa Catalina Mountains of Southern Arizona.
Waymark Code: WMDKE1
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 01/25/2012
Views: 21
The trip up to Samaniego Ridge and Charouleau Gap will take you from the Sonoran Desert floor up through rolling, grassy hills and open oak woodland vegetation. This includes some cactus, yucca, oaks and juniper, with a few ponderosas scattered among more sheltered locations. The views are magnificent of the Santa Catalina Mountains. After you pass the gap you drop into the Cañada Del Oro canyon with large cottonwoods and mesquite groves. This area is rich in mining history and prehistoric Hohokam ruins.
Mileage/Driving Time: 40 miles round trip from Tucson. 5 hours driving time.
Season: Year-round, weather permitting.
Road Conditions: Rough and rugged. This drive requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle with good ground clearance. Vehicles must stay on designated roads.
Elevation (Official or GPSR reading): 5178
Mountain Range: Santa Catalina
Access:
Drive north from Tucson on Hwy 77(Oracle Road) about 23 miles to Golder Ranch Road. (This intersection is marked by a traffic light). Turn east about 1 mile to Lago del Oro Road, then north on Lago del Oro about 2 miles to a dirt road (FR 736) that turns east toward the riverbed. Follow this road, bearing left at a private property sign, through the river bed and up Samaniego Ridge to Charouleau Gap.
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Visit Instructions:
Pictures are encouraged but not required.