Hiking Season in SE Arizona
Although hiking weather in other parts of the country isn’t great, here in southeast Arizona, it is just about perfect. We are enjoying mostly mild weather, cerulean skies, gentle breezes, glorious sunset, and, yes, reduced snake activity. The problem isn’t finding a hiking trail but selecting one. Here are some examples for a “good” problem.
- IBabad Do’ag trail – A 2.1-mile trail that begins just of the Catalina Highway and with a 1,200 feet elevation gain. FYI: Babad Do’ag means “Frog Mountain.”
- Romero Canyon trail – A two part trail with 2.8-mile first section to some pools. The second section continues for another 4.4-mile section up to Romero Pass. This trail begins in the Catalina State Park and is very popular. (Also, a favorite of my pulmonologist)
- Ventana Canyon trail – This is another two part trail. One part is a challenging 6.3-miles to a natural “ventana” or window. A less challenging but equally delightful hike is a 2.4-mile section to Maiden Pools. The Ventana Canyon trailhead is at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.
- Linda Vista trail – This trail is a series of overlapping trails so a hike’s length is total dependent on the hiker. The trailhead is located off Linda Vista Blvd in Oro Valley.
- King Canyon trail – Located in Saguaro National Park, this 4.4 miles hike provide sights that include the park’s namesake as well as a wide variety of other casti, petroglyphs, and some of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) handiwork. The trailhead is locate in the Saguaro NP West Unit.
- Picacho Peak trail – Driving between Phoenix and Tucson, you can’t miss towering Picacho Peak. I don’t think there is a “bad” trail on Picacho Peak but it seems everyone’s favorite trail is the 2-mile long Hunter trail. Hikers need to be in good physical condition and not have a problem with needing to use steel-cable handrails and handrails. A problem with heights will eliminate this trail from possibility. (My favorite but definitely NOT Fred’s.)
When we are looking for something closer to home, the Coronado National Forest has a nice web page we use. More and more national forests are providing this level of information with trail maps.
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Urge to visit Arizona….. rising!! 🙂
Valeria, My neighbor, a woman who comes down from Alaska each winter, was complaining about how the cold is hanging on here. Than she talked to her husband, back in Alaska where it was 10 degrees F, who is being treated for frostbite and decided it wasn't so bad here. I only have to check the weather channel for the locations where my children live to concluded, "It ain't so bad right here." Any time you are ready to come for a visit, our "lousy" weather is ready for you.