The Mines of Lutz

Lutz Canyon is a deep, narrow canyon which offers hikers great views of the San Pedro River Valley, the Mule Mountains and San Jose Peak which is South of the border in Sonora, Mexico. It leads into one of the most heavily mined areas of the Huachuca Mountain Range.

The trail follows an old mining road for much of its length as it climbs into a canyon which reputedly has been the site of prospecting activity since Spanish explorers visited the area in the mid-16th century. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mining activity in Lutz Canyon reached a peak. It then tapered off and came to an end, for all purposes, by the 1950’s. The remnants of Lutz Canyon’s mining days are now preserved within the boundaries of the Miller Peak Wilderness area and the equipment that was abandoned there serves as a point of interest for travelers along this Wilderness trail.

The Lutz Canyon Trail winds through trailside vegetation that varies from pine-oak forest in lower elevations to magnificent stands of Douglas-fir higher up. Along higher reaches of the trail, views expand to reach across the San Pedro Valley into Mexico. Along the trail, hikers will see the remains of three mines. The tour terminates at the Black Bear Mine at which time we will head back to the trailhead.