Ida Canyon

This large parking area provides access to the Ida #110 and Oversite #112 trails.

Begin this trail at the Ida and Oversite Trailhead.

Access to the Huachuca high country and striking views of the landscape west of the mountain range are a couple of the prime attractions of this trail. A pleasant stop-off along the way is provided by picturesque Bear Spring, one of the few permanent springs accessible from the Crest Trail #103 . The Ida Canyon Trail was reconstructed by the Forest Service in 1984. In the process, it was re-routed to offer easier going than was provided by the old mining trail that previously led into the area. The new trail is considerably less steep than the old one, but about twice as long. The trail starts by following an old mining road a short distance up Ida Canyon. It then leaves the canyon to switchback its way up a steep slope through stands of scrub oak and juniper. At the old Ida Mine, among a number of mining leftovers, the front end of a car appears to have been used as part of a jury-rigged ore hoist. The new trail crosses its predecessor along this part of its route and then rejoins it just before entering Bear Canyon. In the canyon, the trail leads to a grove of big trees that surround Bear Spring and ends at a junction with the Bear Canyon Trail #125 . If you wish to continue on a 6.7 mile loop, the Bear Canyon Trail climbs half a mile to Bear Saddle and another junction with the Crest Trail and Hamburg Trail #122 . About three quarters of a mile south and east of this point, along the Crest Trail, you’ll find the Oversite Canyon Trail #112 , which leads down the mountain to your starting point