Length: 7.5 miles roundtrip

Difficulty: Easy

Wilderness Area: Blue Range Primitive Area

Journal: "Hurricane John"

**Kid Friendly Hike**

From Alpine, go East 3 miles on US 180 to FR 281.  Go south 20.7 miles on FR 281 to Pueblo Park Road.  Go East on Pueblo Park Road for 4.7 miles to the well signed trailhead.  The trailhead is about 35 feet west of the Arizona-New Mexico state line.

Trail Description:

From the trailhead kiosk, follow the trail southwest as it skits the upper end of a small canyon.  After a quarter mile the trail turn south.  At .8 miles from the trailhead, the Bonanza Bill Trail junctions with the Tige Trail.  The Tige Trail continues straight ahead (east).  Turn tight at the junction and cross a small drainage.  From the drainage the trail climbs gently to the rim of Steeple Canyon, about 1.5 miles from the trailhead.

The Trail switchbacks down to Steeple Creek.  In September 2006 after a heavy monsoon season, Steeple Creek was flowing well.  Cross the creek and begin the climb out of the canyon.  There is an old coral near the canyon bottom on the South side of the canyon.  There were no real good campsites in steeple canyon.  The climb out is initially steep but tolerable.

Once you reach the rim of the canyon (2.0 miles) the trail begins a gentle climb through a rocky area and a gate (2.5 miles).  This is really a very flat hike but it "tops out" about 3 miles from the trailhead.  Continue south to the junction with the Hinkle Spring Trail 3.6 miles in.  Hinkle spring is a reportedly reliable spring about .2 miles down stream from the junction.  Follow the Hinkle Spring trail northwest to a coral.  Look for a sign on a tree across the trail from the coral.  The spring is down in the canyon behind the sign.  Its a bit of a scramble in and out.

There are several camping possibilities near the junction of the two trails.