Tucson, AZ – The Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is part of the Coronado National Forest and is located at the northeast corner of Tucson. This is a day use fee area, currently $5/day per vehicle. Federal Park Passes are accepted. There are 20 hiking trails of varying length. There is a visitor center with Forest Service staff and volunteers to help with planning. Don’t forget to pick up a map. The Recreation Area has a very large parking area, but due to its’ proximity to Tucson and natural beauty, the area is usually very busy with little solitude on the trails.
Sabino Canyon Rec Area trails offer a look the Sonoran Desert
Soaring mountains, deep canyons, and the unique plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert found here draw over a million visitors a year to the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. The wonders of the desert foothills and rocky gorges of the Santa Catalina Mountains are marvelous and accessible.
Mountain view from our hiking trail
For those who don’t hike, Sabino Canyon Tours offers a 3.7 mile narrated tour, about 20 minutes in duration into Sabino Canyon and a non-narrated two mile ride into Bear Canyon (for access to Seven Falls Trail). Both shuttles return to the visitor center. The shuttle or tour require a separate fee. The tours are offered on an open air bus.
The access trail to Seven Falls Trail
Most of the hiking trails involve sun exposure, so bring a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water. In the hotter months, it is best to hike early in the morning. It is important to check the time of the shuttle to Bear Canyon if you want to use it. When we visited in March, the shuttle did not start running until 9:00am.
While being at the edge of town, Sabino Canyon Rec Area remains wild
We hiked from the visitor center to the Seven Falls Trailhead, a round trip of about 4 miles. We started around 8:30am and wished we had started earlier. The sun was scorching. We did enjoy the beautiful scenery including the mountains, numerous types of cacti, birds and lizards. This is an area we would hike at again the next time we visit Tucson, but would plan to start any hikes earlier in the day. If you are not an early riser and want cooler temperatures for hiking, check out hikes along the Sky Island Scenic Byway or head south to Madera Canyon Recreation, both also part of the Coronado National Forest, but at higher elevations. We visited here while staying in our RV at the Tucson KOA, about a 30 minute drive.
Another view of the Santa Catalina Mountains
