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Welcome to the magical world of cactus forests, desert foothills, and rocky gorges – that’s Sabino Canyon Recreation Area in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
To your children, it will feel like exploring a fairy kingdom, and for us adults, it’s a nature playground full of rugged hiking trails and creek crossings.
With 30 miles of hiking trails, plenty of picnic spots, and opportunities to get wet (a necessity to escape the heat in this Southern Arizona region), its easy to see why locals never getting bored of this park!
If you’re thinking of exploring Sabino Canyon, in this guide we share how you could easily spend an entire day here!
About Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
Hiking in Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is a bucketlist experience in Arizona.
It’s one of the few places in the Sonoran desert where you can find water, and as such, you’ll find unique wildlife and flora have made a home here – that’s why it’s such a unique experience to visit!
Of the wildlife that live here, it’s possible to see many desert dwelling reptiles such as lizards, gila monsters, and snakes, including rattlesnakes. Mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, roadrunners, javelinas and jackrabbits, white-tailed deer call this park home.
There’s also an abundance of bird species, such as vermilion flycatchers, hummingbirds, gray hawks, ravens, woodpeckers, and more.
It’s only 12 miles north east of downtown Tucson and full of easily and accessible hiking trails to suit all levels and ages.
We only spent a couple of hours here, which was enough time to do one of the Sabino Canyon hiking trails. It wasn’t the hiking trail we had planned, but I was not disappointed.
Sabino Canyon is made up of three life zones:
- the desert which is dominated by the iconic saguaro cactus, which we grew to adore
- the riparian corridor adjacent to Sabino Creek
- the mixed conifer forests that crown Sabino Canyon with an elevation of 9,157 feet
A paved road runs 3.8 miles into the canyon, crossing 9 stone bridges over Sabino Creek.
It begins at an altitude of 2,800 feet and rises to 3,300 feet at its end, a popular drop-off in summer because of the swimming holes at Hutch’s Pool and The Crack.
There is a $8 per car recreation fee per day, or $10 for a week. Although for some reason they weren’t taking the fees when we visited.
Bicycles are permitted before 9am or after 5pm any day except Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Things to Do in Sabino Canyon
The Sabino Canyon Tram
So what is the Sabino Canyon tram you speak of? The canyon has been closed to private vehicles since 1978, so a shuttle now operates to take visitors to the main places of interest within the canyon.
The Sabino Canyon shuttle tram routes provide access to Sabino and Bear Canyons.
Along the Sabino route you can get off at any of the nine shuttle stops for a picnic, hike or to spend time along one of the many pools and cascades that grace Sabino Creek.
You can also take the tram to stop 9 before it turns around and hike back down to the visitors center.
Trams arrive every 30 minutes and takes on average an hour to complete a round trip.
You may want to check before visiting to ensure the trams are back up and running again.
Sabino Canyon Crawler
If the tram is closed, as it was with us, you can take the Sabino Canyon Crawler instead.
This is an electric shuttle bus that can carry 62 passengers and has an interpretive program while you ride through the desert.
Sabino Canyon Day Tour
Sabino Canyon tours are a popular way to experience the canyon in a day. Each tour comes with a narrated, 45-minute educational talk, your ticket on the shuttle tram, and a 3.8 mile hike into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Tour prices differ depending on the time of year. Peak season is from July to September, though the park is open year round.
Hike in Sabino Canyon
There are miles of hiking trails that wander throughout the area and lead deeper into the Santa Catalina backcountry. Note that all hikes are off limits to dogs, so please leave your pets at home.
Here are the most popular trails:
Bear Canyon
The shuttle service will take you to the Bear Canyon Trailhead. You can then choose a number of trails from Bear Canyon, depending on your group and how long you want to hike.
You can hike Bear Canyon 29, a challenging 15.5 mile out-and-back trail, or if you want something easier, you can hike for 8 miles from Bear Canyon down to Seven Falls, which is what we would recommend.
Sabino Canyon Seven Falls
Sabino Canyon Seven Falls is where the waters cascade down a steep ravine, over the canyon walls, creating an enchanting sequence of waterfalls and pools.
The Seven Falls can be explored by the Bear Canyon trail mentioned above, by hiking a relatively easy 5 mile loop from the tram stop, or hiking 8.5 miles starting from the visitor center.
Desert Nature Trail
The short, self-guided Desert Nature Trail next to the visitor center has informative notices about local plants and animals. This is a great one to do with kids!
Phoneline Trail
Phoneline Trail (#27) is considered the most popular trail, starting 1.4 miles from the visitor center.
It climbs up the south side of the canyon then follows it for several miles, before descending to the far end of the road, where it intersects the Sabino Canyon Trail a continuation route further north into the mountains.
The trail is a 9 mile, moderately challenging hike with an elevation gain of about 420 meters. It’s one for avid hikers!
Sabino Lake Trail
Another short path, the Sabino Lake Trail (#30), leads to a seasonal reservoir along Sabino Creek.
You can extend this hike and make it a 3.7 mile loop by adding the Rattlesnake Trail, Creek Trail, and Esperoro Trail, which would be a nice one to do as a family.
Sabino Canyon Trail
Sabino Canyon Trail (#23) is a short, 2.5-mile trail takes you up and down to the canyon floor to the refreshing Hutch’s Pool. Pack your swimmers!
Our Experience Hiking in Sabino Canyon
Thankfully, upon arriving at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center, a ranger came over to greet us and asked if we needed any assistance.
Since the tram was closed, I asked for his recommendations for family-friendly Sabino Canyon trails.
He was more than happy to help plotting out a route that included both creek crossings and rock scrambles as we requested.
And he even asked which one we wanted to experience more of so he could ensure we had the right hike focus for the time frame we had. I was most impressed with this service.
Our hike was 4 miles and took us about 90 minutes. Plus we stopped for about 30 minutes for a lunch break.
It was a fantastic hike that all of us enjoyed, especially the girls. I loved the diversity of the landscape and desert environments we walked through.
The hike starts out on the Bear Canyon Trail and part of the road before moving left onto the Sabino Lake Trail trail near the creek.
It takes you to the Sabino Dam which is a pretty place for an overlook and for a picnic if you choose.
The best part of the walk moves you through a tunnel of trees, along the Creek Trail, which is great for some shady relief from hot days.
We had perfect 70 degree temperatures. The first creek crossing was pretty wide and deep. There was no other option than to get your feet wet.
Your only decision is shoes on or off?
I was the only one that left mine on. My trusty Merrill hiking shoes got me through the water and it was cooling to have wet feet for the remainder of the hike!
The girls left theirs on for the second creek crossing which wasn’t as deep, but still entailed feet getting wet.
Of course its things like this that entertain your children and keep them engaged on a long hike. This was what they both said they enjoyed the most of on this hike.
After the second creek crossing, we found a shady spot with picnic tables for a lunch break. It was a gorgeous spot and we had a lovely rest here and conversations with the girls.
It was nice to disconnect and dream together.
We put our wet feet, shoes and socks in the sun to dry off while we ate.
The rest of the walk we scrambled up and down hills through gorgeous cactus forest and mountain scenery left along rattlesnake trail, and then left again along the Esperero trail.
Then it spits you back out to the visitor center, which can get a bit confusing.
When you come to the main paved road turn right. You can either follow it all the way down to the visitor center, or there is a small dirt trial running parallel beside it off in the scrub.
You still get the same scenery, I just prefer walking on trails as it gives me a closer connection to Mother Earth.
Sabino Canyon Opening Hours & Entrance Fees
Sabino Canyon is open every day a year except Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving Day.
The park is open 24 hours, but the visitor’s center is open from 8:00am to 4:30pm daily. The last shuttle bus departs from the visitor’s center at 4:00pm.
Prices cost $8 per vehicle, and the cost of the tram is $15 for adults and $8 for children to Sabino Canyon, or $8 for adults and $5 for children to Bear Canyon.
If you choose to take the tram one way and hike back, it’s $8 for adults and $5 for children.
Those with the Coronado National Forest Annual Pass do not have to pay for the vehicle fee.
How to Get to Sabino Canyon
To get to Sabino Canyon, you must first head to Tucson. From downtown Tucson, you should drive for 20-30 minutes along Sunset Drive and Sabino Canyon Road.
The main parking lot entrance is at the end of N Sabino Canyon Rd.
Best Time To Visit Sabino Canyon
The best time to visit Sabino Canyon is from late September and October, after the monsoon season.
This means the creeks and waterfalls will be full of water, but the weather will be dry so you can enjoy the hike without worry of getting caught in a storm.
Another good time to visit is in March and April after the snowmelt has melted, as this will have nice weather and will also ensure the creeks and rivers are full of water.
Where to Stay in Tucson
When visiting Tucson, the best way to experience the desert and its natural beauty is to camp! So we highly recommend you stay in a campsite when visiting this area.
When picking a campsite, note you often need to make reservations in advance, so make sure you book before you go!
Here are two campsites that we stayed at…
Gilbert Ray Campground
We loved Gilbert Ray Campground in the middle of the Tucson Mountain wilderness.
Our campsite was huge and secluded and the campground serene and beautiful – what a bargain for only $35 a night for our RV.
Although it does not have showers and there is a limited water supply. But at least it teaches you about water conservation and how much you can waste!
If you’re looking for camping near Saguaro National Park, you are only a five minute drive to the West entrance gate!
Catalina State Park
Regrettable we stayed only one night at Catalina State Park in Tucson.
We highly recommend this campground, but be sure to book in advance as it’s popular. The scenery and SUNSETS are stunning at the base of the Catalina Mountains.
There are a few trails straight from the campsite that are easy for walking or biking. The sites are clean, level and spacious and the bathrooms very clean with warm showers and it’s only $35 a night.
There is even a book exchange and they have lots of ranger led activities.
They also have free wifi and the cell service (Verizon) is fast.
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