Gould Mine is a 2.3 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Old Tucson, Arizona that offers scenic views and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding and is accessible year-round.
birding
hiking
nature trips
walking
views
no dogs
Usually I research the history of the trail before hiking it.. I didn't do it this time as it was a spur of the moment activity. The little I knew of the trail, I knew it was a copper mine with a gated cover into the mine shaft. Needless to say I didn't find the entrance to the mine shaft but I did find the block house and other structures that were used by these miners over 100 years ago. Amazing to me was that I saw remnants of what I thought were rusted out cans that were left behind by inconsiderate hikers. These "artifacts" as it turned out, were tucked under heavy brush and cacti ad I didn't take a picture of them. I was tempted to pack them out but didn't. Amazing. The link below gives a brief history of the mine.
http://tucson.com/.../article_593c4546-ba20-55cb-8324...
Enjoyed this hike. Easy to moderate and great with kids. The loop around the picnic table can be hard to find the trailhead. Look for sign or just follow the path on this awesome app.
Wear good shoes. The loose rock trails are a little rough on cross training shoes. Very peaceful with great vantage points along the way.
It's a nice easy trail fully marked and easy for kids +12. Take water and a lunch. A fun hike to the old mine and then a short walk to the shaded picnic area, perfect for a quick trip.
Great trail. We parked at King's Canyon trailhead, took the wash along King's Canyon rather than the official trail where we saw tons of petroglyphs, took Sendero Esperanza trail across to the mine where we walked up the tailings to see some gorgeous views, and then came back down the tailings and headed back on the Gould Mine trail. 2.8 miles total. We did this hike with 6 kids, ages 4-14 years old. Everyone loved it.