IMPORTANT NOTE about March 17 hike to Hutch\’s Pool:
The Friday hike will take place starting at 9:00 a.m. at the Visitor\’s Center, as planned. However, due to fluctuating high water levels, the Sabino Canyon Crawler (tram) may not be able to cross the creek. No one will know until Friday morning whether it will be able to go to Stop 9. Do not buy tickets for the Sabino Canyon Crawler for the hike Friday until we know whether it will go to Stop 9. If you have already purchased a ticket, it may be refundable if the Crawler can\’t go to Stop 9. There are lots of other nice hikes in the Canyon if the water is too high for Hutch\’s Pool.
If you have questions, call or text 520-444-4838. Reference the hike, so we know you\’re not SPAM.
All hikes after March 1, except Wasson Peak and Hutch’s Pool, begin at 7:30 a.m. Carpools may meet up at 7 a.m. or earlier. There will be no hike on January 20 or February 10. Hikes may be cancelled at the last minute. Check the website the night before the hike you plan to go on. All mileages are round trip numbers.
About the Friday hikes:
- All hikes are open to the public.
- Please bring plenty of water—2 liters or more—and a snack for longer hikes.
- Hiking shoes or comfortable footwear, sunscreen and hiking poles are
recommended. - Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
- No pets. No smoking. No vaping. No guns. Silence the cellphones. Please!!
- Please remember many of these hikes are in National Parks or National
- Recreation Areas. Do not remove any plants, rocks, or artifacts.
- Masking requirements will follow USFS rules and are subject to change.
- Have a mask available.
- Bad weather may change or cancel the hike. If we see lightning or hear
thunder, we will stop and return to nearest safe location. Hike leaders
may change hike at their discretion. - We try to accommodate all levels of hikers, but you are responsible for
yourself. Be sure to have any emergency equipment (Epi-pen, glucose,
bandages, ace wraps) you may need. Many of these areas are remote.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Adora-Marie at 520-444-4838.
| Date | Destination | Meet | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 6 | Seven Falls | Meet at Sabino Canyon Visitor Center at 8:00 a.m. USFS pass required in Sabino Canyon lot. | Bear 29 trail from Visitor Center to trail to Seven Falls in Bear Canyon. Moderate difficulty hike of approximately 8.3 miles out and back, at an elevation of 2800 to 3700 feet and an elevation gain of about 1,000 feet. Plan on 4-6 hours. There are several water crossings; water shoes are recommended if the creek is flowing. Hike may be cancelled if flood conditions exist or are predicted. |
| Jan 13 | Lime Kilns | Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the trailhead for Mica View Trail near the end of Broadway Boulevard. Parking is available in the median. No fee to park at the trailhead. | Total distance of 5.7 miles, at an elevation of 2,900 feet. This is an easy hike of rolling hills through cactus forest, with some interesting historical sites along the way. Plan on 3-4 hours for this hike. |
| Jan 27 | Romero Pools, Catalina State Park - SEE NOTE about water crossing | To carpool, meet at 7:30 a.m. at the northeast corner of the Home Depot parking lot (10855 N Oracle Road, just south of the park entrance). Or meet at the trailhead at the east end of the main paved road into the park at 8:00 a.m. Entrance fee $7 for 1-4 people per car required. | Strenuous hike to pools of approximately 6 miles round trip, with a very rocky middle mile. Beginning is sandy and easy with a wide shallow water crossing. Bring plastic bags or a small towel to dry your feet. Elevation gain of approximately 1,300 feet above the state park. Allow at least 4-5 hours. |
| Feb 3 | Sutherland Trail, Catalina State Park | To carpool, meet at 7:30 a.m. at the northeast corner of the Home Depot parking lot (10855 N Oracle Road, just south of the park entrance). Or meet at the trailhead at the east end of the main paved road into the park at 8:00 a.m. Entrance fee $7 for 1-4 people per car required. | This out and back hike of about 5 miles is moderately easy, with elevation change of about 500 feet and possibly some water crossings. Plan on 3-4 hours. |
| Feb 17 | Douglas Spring Trail to Bridal Wreath Falls | Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Douglas Springs trailhead at the east end of Speedway. No fee to park at trailhead. | A 6-mile hike with an elevation gain of about 1000 ft. Medium difficulty. Sometimes there is water at the Falls. Plan on about 4 hours. |
| Feb 24 | Steel Tank via Douglas Spring Trail | Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Douglas Springs trailhead at the east end of Speedway. No fee to park at trailhead. | This 5.8-mile hike is easy to moderate, with an elevation change of about 700 feet. Plan on 3-4 hours. |
| Mar 3 | Wasson Peak via King Canyon Trail | Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the south end of the Big Lots parking lot at Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde if you would like to carpool over to Saguaro National Park West, King Canyon trailhead. The trailhead parking lot is directly across from the Desert Museum. No fee to park. We plan to start hiking at 8:00 a.m. | We will start up the King Canyon Trail, a rocky old mining road, for the first mile or so. It intersects with Sweetwater Trail, which we will take almost to the top. We will pass some old mine sites (fenced off) and, optionally, take the King Canyon Wash trail back and look for some petroglyphs on the way. Allow 5-6 hours for this strenuous 7-mile hike with an 1800-foot elevation gain. |
| Mar 10 | Dove Mountain | If you wish to carpool from the east side, meet at the intersection of Sunrise and Swan, northeast side, in front of Ace Hardware by 6:30 a.m. If you would rather go the trailhead on your own, that's fine. To get to the trailhead, drive to the gatehouse for the Ritz Carlton Resort. Turn right through the gate, and the guard will direct you to the trailhead parking. No parking fee. We plan to start the hike no later than 7:30 a.m. | This is a moderately strenuous hike of 8 miles, with an elevation change of 1,200 feet. There are remains of some old ranch structures and petroglyphs along the way. |
| Mar 17 | Hutch's Pool | Will require purchasing a $15 shuttle ticket unless you want to walk the 7.4 miles on the shuttle road, in addition to the 8.2 miles from stop 9 (these are round trip numbers). Shuttle tickets can be purchased on-line ahead of time at at www.sabinocanyoncrawler.com (Recommended). This hike will leave on the 9:00 a.m. shuttle from the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center. We plan to start the hike at 9:30, if you decide to hike the 3.4 miles up the road to the trailhead. USFS pass required in Visitor Center parking lot. | We will hike from the end of the shuttle road to Hutch’s Pool and return and ride the shuttle back to the Visitor Center. This moderately strenuous 8.2-mile hike has an elevation gain of about 700 feet. Allow at least 6 hours and bring a lunch. Leaders usually get back in time for the 2:30 shuttle back to the Visitor Center; sweep usually can make the 3:30 shuttle. The last shuttle is at 4:30. |
| Mar 24 | Bug Springs | We will meet at the MacDonald's at Tanque Verde and Catalina Highway at 7:00 a.m. to determine the number of cars needed and carpools before we head up to the trailhead. This is a two-car shuttle from the beginning of the hike, past milepost 11 at trailhead parking on the right (just before General Hitchcock Campground). Cars will also be left at the bottom of the trailhead on the right side of road at about milepost 7 (opposite Gordon Hirabiyashi Campground). The hike will start no later than 7:30 a.m. USFS pass required to park. | 4.5-mile hike with elevation changes from 5,900 to 6,300 to 4,800 feet. After about a mile of strenuous uphill, the trail has beautiful views and a steady descent to the trailhead opposite Gordon Hirabiyashi Campground. |