Deadman #70

If you look toward Mt. Graham from Safford, you’ll notice that there is a lone mountain that stands between that higher range and the town. Though it’s not as big as the Pinalenos, it may be even more rugged and precipitous than its taller neighbors. This is Deadman Peak. It is actually connected to Mount Graham by a high, sharp ridge that isn’t obvious from the town and the highway. Trail #70 offers access to this rugged offshoot of the Pinalenos by leading up the drainage of Deadman Creek. This small stream tumbles down the north side of the mountain through a precipitous canyon which is home to a couple of waterfalls that are quite picturesque during spring flows. The trail remains within the confines of Deadman Canyon for its entire length, dropping down to the canyon floor for the last quarter of its journey to the Round the Mountain Trail #302. Vegetation along the trail is characteristic of the Upper Sonoran Desert zone except where the trail follows the floor of Deadman Canyon. Here, riparian species find a home along the stream which holds water for most of the year.