Mary Trail

Mary Trail is a 2.2-mile, one-way point-to-point path from the Samuelson West junction to Quail Wash. Allow about 1.5 hours for this segment; the mapped direction loses roughly 400 feet. It is a connector, not a loop. Turn around for about 4.4 miles on the same path, or continue through the surrounding trail network. A 5.2-mile out-and-back is also listed via Quail Wash, but its route was not available to verify; this page maps the named Mary segment.

The mapped line begins where Mary meets Samuelson West and ends where it joins Quail Wash. Neither junction is a confirmed Mary parking area. The park identifies Boy Scout, Covington Flats, and Juniper Flats as the closest backcountry trailheads for entering or leaving the zone, but the exact approach from those lots to this segment is not established. Day hikers may pass through a backcountry zone without an overnight permit; overnight camping requires one.

The elevation profile falls from roughly 3,790 feet at the Samuelson West end to about 3,390 feet at Quail Wash. The wider zone has open valleys and rocky canyons, but no reliable source describes Mary’s footing, shade, signs, or a particular viewpoint. The park’s Quail Wash page does not list Mary among its named trails, so maintenance and signage are unconfirmed. Use it as a mapped link only when your larger route already accounts for access at both ends.

Carry all your water; natural sources are rare in the park’s backcountry. Pets are not allowed on park trails except the paved Oasis of Mara and Keys View trails, so they cannot accompany you here.