Page 17 - Walks In The Black Range
P. 17
6. Railroad Canyon Campground to
Holdon Prong Saddle
This trail starts at the Railroad Canyon Campground and climbs northward to Holden Prong Saddle. The round-trip distance is 8.8 miles with a gross elevation gain of about 1,700 feet. This trail is good for wildflowers, butterflies, the occasional mammal (Rebecca has seen cougar at “2”), and insects (all in the appropriate season). Some examples of what you can expect to see along this trail follow. Numbering is keyed to the map at the end of this article.
1. Gentiana affinis (Rocky Mountain Gentian) - September 19 - Photograph by Rebecca Hallgarth
2. Fendlera rupicola Gray var. writhtii, Fendlerbush,
June 10. Near the site where cougar has been seen.
3. Mecaphesa sp., Crab Spider. A small (smaller than a U.S. 1- cent piece) white spider, June 10.
4. Lonicera arizonica, Arizona Honeysuckle, June 10.
5. Maianthemum racemosum, False Solomon’s Seal, June 10. The Honeysuckle and two species of Maianthemum were found within a few feet of each other.
