December 12, 2017
Tucson area hikes - the Catalinas
The Catalinas are the "great mountains" in the Tucson area. They are high
and extremely rugged, comparable to any mountains anywhere. They offer serious
adventures such as a trip down Sabino or Lemmon Creek from top to bottom (but
read the warnings below). They are overused along the road, but it doesn't take
much energy and imagination to put yourself into a different world here.
Trailhead rules, backpacking, and other hassles
To find out about possible bureacratic hassles
affecting overnight use (backpacking)
follow this link.
And as of November, 2022 - here is a comprehensive plan from the Forest Service
for trails in the Catalinas. Everybody I know was caught off guard by this,
even those "well connected" with friends in the FS. They claim that they
are seeking public comment, but by the time anything gets this polished, you
know they are going to press ahead to do whatever they have already decided,
and the "public comment" is just a formality they are forced to endure:
Some hikes
Pima Canyon to Kimball Peak (14.2 miles, 4055 feet)
To get to the trailhead, drive north on Campbell to Skyline and turn left,
then head west to Christie and turn right (north).
Alternately, just drive north on First which transitions to Christie north
of Skyline.
Either way, procede north on Christie to where you must go left or right,
go right a short distance to the trailhead.
The trailhead is at roughly 3200 feet elevation, the first couple of miles
of the trail is quite level and great for out of town visitors and such.
After this, the trail climbs more and more steeply;
5.6 miles will get you to Pima Saddle (6350 feet), which has an excellent view.
Another 1.5 miles (7.1 total) will bring you to the summit of Mount Kimball
(7255 feet). Either Kimball or Pima Saddle are worthy goals. If you hike
to Pima Saddle, you should climb to the top of the small peak just to the
north (6490 feet) to take in the view of Alamo Canyon and the amazing terrain
to the north.
On 2-6-2010, Tom did the 11.2 mile loop to Pima Saddle (11.2 miles, 3150 feet)
and back in about 7 hours, moving fast although somewhat out of shape.
Window Peak via Ventana Canyon (12.8 miles, 4468 feet)
This trailhead is at the Ventana Canyon Resort.
Your first job is to drive to the resort, which can be done in any number of ways.
One way is to drive to Grant (or Kolb) and Tanque Verde,
then take Tanque Verde to Sabino Canyon Road and thence north.
Sabino Canyon Road will split off to the right, but you keep going straight,
the roads name now changes to Kolb and leads you right to the resort.
(Don't enter a gated community at a road labelled "Ventana Canyon Drive", but
go two roads beyond this, there is a sign for the trailhead.
Another way is to go north on Craycroft forever. Craycroft will turn to the
east, then turn to the south, change names to Kolb, and take you to the
trailhead road described above.
At the resort, take the first left from the entrance drive and follow the signs to
the trailhead parking on the west side of the resort, behind the employee parking lot.
On my visit in 2010, there were plenty of signs to clearly lead you to the parking area.
Ventana, by the way, is spanish for "window".
The trailhead is at 3000 feet elevation.
The first mile or so of the trail is via an "access corridor" next to apartments and such.
Hiking up the trail 2.4 miles brings you to "Maiden Pools" (approx 4200 elevation),
(a good destination for a short hike). I have never been overwhelmed by the pools at
this location, but this spot is just past the culmination of a strenuous bit of climbing.
Another 2.8 miles (5.2 total)
brings you to a trail junction at 6000 feet elevation. The left branch goes another 2.3
miles (for 7.5 total) to the top of Mount Kimball (7255 feet). The right branch goes
1.2 miles to Window Peak (6.4 miles total, 7468 feet elevation).
There are numerous possibilities from the head of Ventana Canyon. You could procede on
to Cathedral Peak (another 4 miles from Window peak for 10.4 miles total one way).
You could hike down Esperero Canyon, Finger Rock Canyon, or even Pima Canyon.
I hiked most of the above March 11, 2010. At that time there was snow on the upper
part of the trail (from around the Kimball junction and above). The stream was a
rushing torrent that needed to be carefully crossed at many spots. The view of
Cathedral Peak was of snow and ice and ice encrusted trees. I turned around on
the ridge below "the window" at 6600 foot elevation, and so did about a 12 mile loop
(and 3600 foot climb) in 8 hours and was thoroughly thrashed.
This area is claimed to be part of the "Desert Bighorn Sheep Wilderness area"
(is there such a thing) and some restrictions apply.
The aim of these rules is good, namely giving the bighorn sheep a chance to survive.
In particular, no dogs; and no off-trail hiking or camping from January 1 through April 20.
(No doubt, all this is subject to change year by year and moment to moment).
The information on the Forest Service website for this trail is ridiculously out of date,
particularly the trailhead information. You can try calling the Coronado National Forest
website at 520-388-8300 to ask about the bighorn sheep lambing season closure.
I don't know (but am curious) what the guidelines are for overnight parking at this
trailhead.
Finger Rock and Prominent Point
To park at the trailhead (for some kind of overnight escapade), call Pima County Parks
and Recreation at 520-877-6000 and request an overnight parking permit.
As at any trailhead, there is danger of thieves breaking into your car, so be sure
it is empty with nothing of potential interest to entice such low-lifes.
Also, as with Ventana Canyon, this area is subject to Winter and early Spring closure
to benefit the bighorn sheep.
The Finger Rock trail (at the north end of Alvernon) is the most likely way to approach
this area, but you may want to consider hiking up Pima Canyon and approaching from above.
Beginning at the Finger Rock trailhead (3000 feet elevation), it is 4.5 miles of quite steep
hiking to the trail junction at 6900 feet. Left from here, it is 0.5 miles to the summit of
Mt. Kimball (elevation 7258).
If you go right, you will drop down to a pass at 6280, then contour to the junction with
the trail coming up Ventana Canyon (1.8 miles). From here it is 1.2 miles to the summit
of Window Peak (7458 feet).
If your goal is Finger Rock, you will leave the finger rock trail and bushwhack and contour to
the saddle between Prominent Point and the Finger. The climb itself can be done with a single
rope and some gear. One description says that the moves at the bolts are as hard as 5.8,
though I find this surprising. The rock though is fractured and unstable and will give any
sane person the willies. Prominent Point itself will require class 3 or 4 scrambling.
Lots of amole (shin-daggers) in this area.
Sabino Canyon Dayhikes
The Parking Lot is at 2726 feet.
Sabino Canyon itself is wildly popular. Nature is striving to return it to its proper state,
which many people oddly view as some kind of catastrophe. It is certainly possible to hike
out and back on the road used by the tram. The best option here though is to exit east and up
to the "phoneline trail" after about 1.2 miles on the road. This is 4.7 miles each way from the
parking lot, making a 9.4 mile loop with only 874 feet of elevation gain (from 2726 to 3600).
Sabino to Bear Canyon Loop (17 miles, 2060 feet)
The idea here is to hike up Sabino Canyon to Sabino Basin, then east to meet the Bear Canyon
trail and then hike down Bear Canyon. This covers a lot more interesting backcountry without
a lot of elevation gain (the high point is about 4800 feet just before you drop into Bear Canyon).
Esperero Canyon
This is a worthwhile hike into an interesting area.
You park in the regular Sabino Canyon parking lot, and begin hiking up the road to
Sabino Canyon. You pass an island in the road and you pass the Cactus Picnic Area.
Maybe 75 yards beyond the Cactus Picnic Area you will see signs for the Esperero Trail.
This is a superb route to the top of Cathedral Rock (16.5 miles round trip with 5000 feet of
elevation gain). Done in a day, this is "one of the most difficult trails in Southern Arizona".
Bridal Veil Falls at about 5600 feet elevation makes an 11 mile round trip.
Camping is possible at "Geronimo Meadows" and at Bridal Veil Falls.
Romero Pass from the Gordon Hirabayashi trailhead
To get to this trailhead (4863 feet), drive up the Mount Lemmon Highway, past Molino Basin and watch for
the entrance to the campground on the left side of the road after you finish the climb
out of Molino Basin and the road begins to swing to the right.
(The Bug Springs trailhead is just a bit farther, on the right)
Drive through the campground, ignoring the notices about paying a camping fee,
and park at the trailhead at the far end of the Campground.
There are fancy corrals and such for horse people.
You hike down the road to Sycamore Spring Reservoir (2.4 miles) and then continue east to Sabino Basin.
The hike is actually downhill to Sabino Basin, climbing to a bit over 5000 feet, and dropping to
3700 feet, then up to Hutches Pool (7.2 miles, 4000 feet). The trail then climbs through the West Fork of
Sabino, reaching the trail junction to Cathedral Peak after 10.6 miles at 5400 feet. Romero Pass is
at 6050 feet after 12.4 miles.
This is certainly a possible way to climb Cathedral Rock (13.3 miles, 7957). This would make a nice trail
marathon (26.6 miles round trip with 3094 feet of elevation gain).
I did this hike 3-1-2010, but not the whole thing. After a weekend of heavy rains the streams were all running
in full flood, which made this hike a special experience. Crossing Bear Creek (1.8 miles from the trailhead)
involved removing my boots and crossing through fast moving ice-cold water up to my knees. I turned around in
the West fork at the crossing about 0.5 miles short of Hutches Pool. The West fork had a bigger flow than
Bear Creek did by at least a factor of two and I had planned to turn around at Hutches Pool anyway. The out
and back loop was 12 miles, which I did in 8 hours (which included 6 significant stream crossings, 3 each way,
the other two being Sycamore and Palisade Creeks). The views of the west fork on the descent into the east fork
were spectacular with snow on all the mountains and clouds on the peaks.
Hollin Basin
This is not marked on the recent maps, but if you have the old hiking club map, you will see it.
Start at the upper end of the Bug Springs trails.
Be aware that this is heavily used by mountain bikers and they can come rocketing downhill.
Even with the best of intentions, close encounters can happen.
Hike this trail up to the crest, over the saddle and down into the
drainage south of Bear Canyon.
At a likely point where the trail makes a hairpin turn back down and right,
leave the trail onto a granite slab. Do not cross the small drainage, but
head uphill. There is a nice trail up to the next saddle and it is very
much worth your while to find it. From the saddle follow the trail along
the ridge further south than you would think until it drops down a ridge
into Hollin Basin. The sharp eyed backcountry hiker will be able to follow
a nice but seldom used trail all the way into Hollin Basin.
The not so sharp eyed hiker will stuggle their way through a lot of brush.
The trail deposits you in a sandy streambed.
If you are lucky there will be water.
Whatever the case, you can wander as you see fit.
One option is to follow the stream south all the way across
the basin and climb Airmen Peak.
If you do this, the hardest part will be the scramble up the gully
on the north side of Airmen Peak.
Wilderness of Rocks
This is a fascinating area and many hikes and backpacks are possible.
I usually start at the Marshall Gulch Picnic area trailhead and head up and
over Marshall Saddle, but you can also start from the top of Mount Lemmon.
Here is
trip report on an overnight backpack
Willow Canyon - Seven Cataracts
Palisade Canyon
Lemmon and Sabino Creek
These are not hikes, but adventures. There is no trail down either. The going is extremely rugged.
When I went down Lemmon Creek, we took a rope and used it to rappel one section. My trip down Sabino
was a multi day affair with the sensation of having vanished deep into some unexplored region.
Even an experienced person could get into trouble with either of these, so be warned.
Have any comments? Questions?
Drop me a line!
Tom's hiking pages / tom@mmto.org