South Fork
South Fork Trail is a 6.8 miles trail in Coronado National Forest, Arizona. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Chiricahua Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Coronado National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 31.8690, -109.1884 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 31.8183, -109.2370 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 6.8 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 10-12 percent |
| Typical tread width | 12-18 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 243 |
| Forest | Coronado National Forest (unit 0305) |
| States | Arizona |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Chiricahua Wilderness WildernessFS · about 96% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
No season published Day-use only. No overnight camping. No trailers. Pack and saddle stock are not permitted in picnic area. | 0 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedDouglas Piles Rx
11 mi from the trail midpoint · 14 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Park units nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the South Fork Trail?
6.8 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Coronado National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the South Fork Trail?
hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the South Fork Trail start?
The line begins at 31.8690, -109.1884 and ends at 31.8183, -109.2370. The nearest recorded trailhead is South Fork Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the South Fork Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Chiricahua Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Chiricahua Wilderness Wilderness
Where can I camp near the South Fork Trail?
Sunny Flat Campground (1.3 mi), Stewart Campground (1.9 mi) and Idlewilde Campground (2.2 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the South Fork Trail?
Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the South Fork Trail?
The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is 12-18 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the South Fork Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the South Fork Trail?
Coronado National Forest, Forest Service unit 0305. The trail is in Arizona.
Is there a fire near the South Fork Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Douglas Piles Rx at 11 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named SOUTH FORK in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0305. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.