Any suggestions for hikes in the Tucson/ Marana Area?

[rally_toad]

I am heading down there at the end of July for a couple weeks and was planning to do some hiking. I wanted to go to Catalina SP and hike to the Romero pools. And I also was planning to stop at Picacho Peak on the way back and hike the peak one more time.

Any other hikes that would be nice. I would like some that there is solitude and not alot of other people around. I also would need to be able to reach the trailhead in a passenger car as I dont have a 4wd vehicle. I will be there 5 days and already have 2 hikes so I want at least three more. Mileage doesnt matter and neither does elevation I am used to summertime desert hiking.

Any suggestions for hikes in the Santa Ritas? I wanted to check out some places there and look for some Sky Island animals to photograph! Thanks in advance!

[fricknaley]

Oh there are many possibilities! Can you give me a mileage range you are looking for?

A can't miss desert peak in Marana is Sombrero (Safford) peak, if you don't mind a little off route/mild climbing. Gotta go early in the day though.

Santa Ritas: Agua Caliente/Josephine Saddle loop is nice, you can never go wrong with Mt. Wrightson, and Kent/Bog Spring Loop (this will be warm though).

Catalinas: this time of year the Aspen/Marshall loop is perfect, so is Mt. Lemmon/Lemmon Rock Loop. Also nice is Green Mountain, Guthrie Mountain and any segment of the Butterfly trail.

There are write-ups for all of these here on HAZ.

[rally_toad]

Thanks for the suggestions! I would like to do one day of low mileage about 5-6 miles. And then the rest I could do 7-12 miles round trip. I wanted to get back to the place I am staying before it gets super hot.

[JimmyLyding]

http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=983

The Aspen Draw Trail. Probably the coolest hike in the Catalinas in terms of temperature. In old-growth forest most of the way. You could also try the Meadow Trail/Lemmon Trail loop. Or you could combine all 3. The Aspen Draw trailhead is about 1.5 hours from Marana, depending upon what part of Marana you'll be in. The rest of the hikes near Marana, including Romero Pools, will be exceptionally warm unless you finish before 8-9 a.m.

[azbackpackr]

Ditto the above suggestions as to Marshall Gulch, Aspen Trail, Mt. Lemmon Trail, etc. I can't see hiking in the desert heat if you have time to drive up the Mt. Lemmon/Catalina Hwy. Also the Santa Ritas are nice. You go to Madera Canyon, (there is a sign on I-19 near Green Valley), then you hike up the Old Baldy Trail to the top of Mt. Wrightson. You can also make it into a longer loop by combining it with the Super Trail. There are some other trails there, but that's a good one to start with.

Romero Pools would be nice, but a very hot hike. Start at 5 a.m. to beat the heat. Another neat hike where there is sometimes water to swim in would be Seven Falls. But it is dry sometimes. You can call the Sabino Canyon Visitors' Center and ask if there is water in it. You start the hike at Sabino Canyon. They sometimes offer a short tram ride, the Bear Canyon Tram, to the trailhead, eliminates about 4 miles of not very interesting hiking. So when you call you could ask about that tram as well. It also is a very hot hike. Not to bother with if there is no water!

Catalina Hwy. to Mt. Lemmon very slow and crowded on Sat. and Sunday a.ms. unless you start up it before 7 a.m. Word to the wise: It can be 45 minutes or it can be 2 hours. Your choice, but I'd start at 5 or 6 a.m.

Also, for the Santa Ritas, if you don't arrive at Madera Canyon very early on a weekend morning the parking will be full, and sometimes they even close the road if there are too many people back in there. Of course, weekdays are always best.

Elizabeth