2018 Arizona Official State Visitor's Guide - 5

ARIZONA TRAIL

SECTION

SECTION 11
SHORT VERSION

SANTA CATALINA
MOUNTAINS * 18.5 MILES
This section immediately gives
you a taste of Arizona's staggering diversity as it whisks
you from desert to cool mountain forests with a stop at a refreshing swimming hole along
the way. The Santa Catalina
Mountains form the northern border of Tucson, rising
ramparts of peaks and angled
summits, and this route takes
you to the top.
Fr o m t h e G o r d o n H i r a bayashi Trailhead, the trail
first follows a dirt road before
branching off and passing an
old reservoir that's now mostly
silted over into a marshy riparian area. (Don't worry, this
isn't your swimming hole.)
The trail crosses Sycamore
Canyon before making a steep
descent into the Sabino Basin.
You'll enjoy expansive views
as you follow the east fork of
Sabino Canyon, which is the

During cooler weather, hike
in from Sabino Canyon. In
warmer months, start from
Marshall Gulch high in the
Catalina Mountains. Hike
down to Wilderness of Rocks
or connect with Aspen Trail
for a woodsy loop of about
four miles.

View of the Santa Catalina Mountains
PHOTO BY @LITTLE.BRYAN

Hiking the Arizona Trail in the Catalina
Mountains just north of Tucson
PHOTO BY A.T. WILLETT

ARIZONA
TRAIL

FEATURED
SECTIONS

quintessential Sonoran Desert oasis. This is a woodsy cathedral guarded by cactus spines and rocky cliffs. Streams wind
through canyon bottoms and around a jumble of granite
boulders. A slender forest of sycamore, cottonwood, willow,
ash and walnut trees canopies clear pools and splashy cascades. Steep slopes above bristle with saguaro.
Past the junction with the Sabino Canyon Trail, continue
uphill along the west fork to Hutch's Pool. With sheer rock
sides and a small sandy beach, this is a popular swimming
hole almost year-round. In the desert, air conditioning keeps
us sane, but water and shade set us free.
Leave the pool behind-no easy task-and make the climb
toward Romero Pass, steep at times but with level stretches
mixed in. Turn onto Wilderness of Rocks Trail through a gallery of sculpted stone. Turn again onto Marshall Gulch Trail
and follow it through pine forest to the trailhead. Bonus:
You're just down the road from the mountain hamlet of Summerhaven, where you can treat yourself to a meal, a beverage
and a cookie the size of a manhole cover.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2018 Arizona Official State Visitor's Guide

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg18
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg16
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg12
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