You’ll find a variety of unusual and interesting things awaiting discovery in the many mountains of Arizona – and Mount Lemmon, elevation 9,159 (and also the highest point in the Santa Clara Mountains) is no exception. At the peak of this colossal mountain is the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory, a science learning center with the largest public-use telescope in the Southwest. But this mountain, in particular, holds some other treasures that aren’t as widely known – or accessible.
Somewhere on the side of this mountain lies the wreckage of a plane that crashed around 1957. What’s more, there’s a trail you can take to see the wreckage.
alltrails/Brian Liivak
On the drive up the Catalina Highway (a.k.a. Mount Lemmon Highway), enjoy the picturesque sights from the long and winding road.
TripAdvisor/Maxim D
Soon after you pass the Bear Wallow Campground, you’ll arrive at a right turn onto North Butterfly Road, which is, more or less, a parking lot for the trailhead. You should see a sign for the Butterfly Trail at the turn onto North Butterfly Road.
Google Maps [streetview, enhanced]
Park, grab plenty of water, and hit the trail. The length of the trail is 5.25 miles one-way, and the wreckage is found at approximately the three mile mark.
alltrails/Charles Criswell
On the way to the wreckage, you’ll be impressed by the views peeking though the treetops.
alltrails/William Glover
Also, be forewarned… the trail is all UP HILL on the way back, so save some willpower and some water, because you’ll need it.
alltrails/Kat Seaton
Soon after a trail option to fork off the main trail, you’ll start to see bits and pieces (some small, some large) of the downed plane.
alltrails/Jose Hinojos
It’s been here for 61 years and is in remarkable condition considering the elements it must endure on Mount Lemmon, especially all of the snowfall!
alltrails/Charles Criswell
If you want to avoid the worst of the uphill climbing on the way back, you can bring two cars and park one at the other end of the trail. (A map showing the trail and the location of the second trailhead can be found at this link).
alltrails/Maggie Johnson
You never know what you’ll find hiding in the mountains of Arizona, but a wrecked plane is one of the more rare finds along Arizona’s hiking trails. Do you know of other plane wreckages found in the mountains of the Grand Canyon State? We’d love to know about them!
alltrails/Brian Liivak
TripAdvisor/Maxim D
Google Maps [streetview, enhanced]
alltrails/Charles Criswell
alltrails/William Glover
alltrails/Kat Seaton
alltrails/Jose Hinojos
alltrails/Maggie Johnson
The Butterfly Trail Head is located on North Butterfly Road, just off the Catalina Highway (a.k.a. Mount Lemmon Road) 40 miles to the northeast of Tucson. A Google maps link showing the location can be found here. Learn more about the trail at this link on alltrails.com.
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