Hiking in Tucson at Sabino Canyon

Sabino Canyon is a popular hiking spot in Tucson. Located in the Coronado National Forest, Sabino Canyon has several hikes you can take for beginners to more experienced and there is even a tram tour which operates day and night to deeper parts of the canyon. When many parts of the country are covered in several feet of snow in February, enjoying a sunny day in the desert hiking in t-shirts is a treat.  A favorite for my family is the easy hike to the Dam. The previous days it had rained pretty hard. The creeks were running full and over the roadways. This is also considered “green” for the desert. It is rare to see the Sabino Canyon Dam running this hard and the creeks so full. The are a lot of slanted slate rocks at the base of the falls that people usually lay out on and enjoy the sunshine. Today they were covered. View from the top of the Dam. This area is setup as a butterfly garden in the spring.   There are many picnic baskets to enjoy snacks and also lots of trails around the river to enjoy the views. This is the creek leading up to the dam. The white bare trees made it look almost snowy winter-scape until you see the cactus in the background. You can usually hike through here, but today it is deep in water. Another view of the roaring Dam before we made our way back. Views of the Saguaro cactus and down to the Tucson Valley. Last view of the groves of Saguaro against the purple mountains.

Information & Tips

• Tips: Bring water. It is the desert and you will be easily dehydrated.
• Sabino Canyon Tours
• Federal Website