I rate this hike as being of moderate difficulty with some portions that are definitely difficult.

Hikers must sign in and sign out when parking and using the trails.  There is no fee.  Parking is somewhat limited at the trailhead.  There is an information sign at the trailhead.  There are NO TOILET FACILITIES AT THIS HIKE.  We have heard that toilet facilities are planned for hikers and they may be constructed soon, but as of November 2015 they were not available and there was no sign of construction.  When built, the toilet facilities will probably be close to the trail, but not necessarily visible from the road or the parking area.

This hike takes place in the Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area.  This is an area is 49,120 acres of rugged beauty, lush riparian areas and an array of recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. This area is a mosaic of public and private land cooperatively managed by The Nature Conservancy, BLM and Coronado National Forest.

This is a beautiful hike (beautiful 2, beautiful 3) that follows a wash downstream in a north westerly direction for about 1.7 miles before coming to a confluence with a small year around stream that flows out of Bass Canyon from the east.  The spring fed stream has several species of threatened and endangered Arizona native fish including the Gila chub.  In the portion of the trail along the Bass Canyon stream some saguaros are visible from the trail.  When I hiked the stream in November 2015 I saw many top minnows (look like guppies) and at least one other species of larger fish that I could not identify.  At the conflence, a cairn and sign marked trail follows the live stream upstream in an easterly direction for a mile or so before ending at the jeep trail.  Follow the jeep trail to the right (east) as it climbs up and over a saddle in a mostly southly direction and back down to the trailhead and parking lot.  Along the road is a spring fed pond that has endangered pupfish in it.  My gps recorded the hike as being 3.96 miles.  I did this hike in late November 2015 and the leaves were probably a week or so past prime, but they were still spectacular.  Mid November should be an ideal time for this hike.  While on the hike in November 2015 I was fortunate to find tracks of cougar, coatimundi and quail in the soft mud beside the trail.

The hike begins by walking down a jeep trail for a very short way before turning left at a cairn and trail sign and hiking down to a wash.  Early in the hike the trail is pretty well marked with trail signs. Farther along the signs are no longer present.  At the wash the hike turns right and follows the wash for about 1.7 miles.  The hike down the wash is easy and has some lovely views.  In places there is flowing water in the wash and one must repeatedly cross and recross the stream.  When I did the hike I was able to cross and recross the wet portions of the wash without getting my shoes wet or muddy.  But, depending on recent rainfall the situation could be different.  Other trails leave the wash or cross the wash and these trails are usually marked with cairns and or signs.  For the Bass Canyon Loop Trail one should just stay in the wash until reaching the confluence with the year around stream that flows out of Bass Canyon.  The Bass Canyon portion of the trail starts from the wash just a bit upstream from the confluence and is marked with a cairn.  A sign can be seen from the cairn.  The sign is designed for people hiking the Bass Canyon Trail in the opposite direction (from the road downstream to the wash).  Follow the trail (and the live stream) upstream for about a mile or so until the trail intersects with a road (jeep trail).  Turn right at the road and follow the road back to the trailhead.  The trail along the stream is varying from being clear and well marked with cairns to being faint and difficult to follow.  There are places where the footing in difficult and rocky.  The trail does not cross the stream any where in this portion.  There are some nice places for a lunch break along this portion of the trail.  While following the jeep trail portion of hike the road is mostly in the open and the trail climbs steadily (sometimes steeply) up to a saddle before making a similar decent down the trailhead.  The altitude change is about 200 feet vertical for both the ascent and descent.  The footing along this portion can be difficult.

The Visitors Center at the Muleshoe Ranch is no longer open even though The Nature Conservancy is still renting out the casitas.  We have heard that the casitas are booked solid at least a year in advance.  The address and phone number of the Nature Conservancy at the Muleshoe Ranch is:  6502 N. Muleshoe Ranch Rd,  Willcox,  AZ  85643.   The phone number is:  (502) 212-4295.