Crest Trail #103

Crest Trail #103 is an 11-mile ridge hike through the Huachuca Mountains in Coronado National Forest, with the trail forming a backbone route for a network of spurs and connecting trails in the Miller Peak Wilderness area.

This is a long ridge walk with plenty of ups and downs; expect switchbacks and steep grades as the route climbs along high terrain and then works its way across multiple rocky outcrops.

A major use pattern is to tackle the Crest Trail as a shorter out-and-back even though the through-ridge length is 11 miles, commonly by starting at the Montezuma Pass end and returning the way you came.

A well-known approach is to begin at the top of Montezuma Pass, hike about 4 miles along Crest Trail #103, then leave the ridge to bag Miller Peak via a steep spur; the popular peak day is roughly a 9.5-mile out-and-back when measured end to end.

The Crest Trail #103 is also used in combination loops that pick up other named trails (for example Carr Peak #107, Hamburg #122, and Comfort Springs #109, plus others), so you can build a longer day if you want to shuttle or string together segments.

Water can be unreliable along the ridge network; some spring sources are reported as not dependable, and hikers are advised to plan around that uncertainty before committing to a long day on exposed high ground.

The corridor passes through varied habitats from desert grassland up into mixed conifer, but parts of the area have burned in past wildfires, so tread and cover can vary along the route.

More information: Visitor information, Visitor information, Hike Miller Peak - WildPathsAZ