Manning Camp, in Saguaro National Park, is named after Levi Manning, who built the cabin there in 1905 as a summer home for his family. Manning later served as the mayor of Tucson from 1905-1907. In 1907, the area became part of the Coronado National Forest. The cabin was subsequently used for fire watch and trail crews and later for biological researchers and backcountry rangers. Manning Camp can be accessed by several routes; this FKT reaches it via the Arizona Trail traveling north-bound on Passage 9 (Rincon Mountains). From Loma Alta Trailhead, start at the gate, taking the Hope Camp Trail for approximately 2.4 miles until you reach the Quilter Trail (which is where you hop on the AZT). Go left on Quilter Trail, which takes you 4.6 miles through desert landscapes until you reach the Manning Camp Trail. Go left here to get on Manning Camp Trail (and to stay on the AZT). As you gain elevation, you will leave the lower desert for the forest, passing through the Grass Shack Campground on your way to Manning Camp. The last ~5ish miles from Grass Shack to Manning Camp is the steepest part of the climb, gaining over 2600ft. Despite the elevation gain on this route, it is not overly technical and most of it is runnable. When you reach Manning Camp, you can filter water if needed (there is almost always water available) and then run back down. The total route is around 29 miles. The gpx file for the route starts and ends a little before the gate in the parking area at Loma Alta Trailhead, but for the FKT segment, start and finish at the gate.
