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| Total Length | 14.9 miles |
| Highest Elevation: | 7850 feet |
| Lowest Elevation: | 2600 feet |
| Elevation Change: | 5250 feet |
| Difficulty Rating: | A |
| Best Seasons: | Spring Fall |
| Hiking Time: | 7.5 hours |
| Dogs: | Dogs not allowed |
The upper portion of this hike is open again as of 30 July 2004. The description and pictures are from before the Aspen Fire. I will not get a chance to visit and prepare a revised description for many months, so please email me a report and/or pictures if you do this hike.
Its all downhill! This hike takes you from the Ponderosas along the ridgeline of the Catalinas all the way down to the Saguaros of Sabino Canyon. This is an excellent hike if you want to see some of the more remote parts of the Catalinas without having to climb a lot. Note that I have the last section of the hike going down the Phoneline Trail, but this last part could be done on the road, or even on the tram (if you can stand it). If you take the tram it cuts 4.5 miles off the hike, making it about 11.5 miles. I have never done this exact hike in the order presented here, but I have done all of the parts of it.
Directions to Trailhead
•From the intersection of Tanque Verde and Kolb/Grant, head east on Tanque Verde until you get to the Catalina Highway, about 5 or 6 miles.
•Turn left on Catalina Highway (the only way you can go), and drive towards the mountains. After a few miles the road begins to climb into the Catalinas.
•You will have to stop at the U.S. Forest Service toll booth located near Molino Basin and pay $5 per car. These fees for recreational use will hopefully allow the Forest Service to continue to subsidize grazing leases and timber sales at their present generous levels.
•Don't even begin to worry about looking for the trailhead until you have passed both the Windy Point lookout and the San Pedro Vista.
•The trailhead used to be directly across the street from the Palisade Ranger Station. However, it was moved a short distance closer to Tucson sometime around 2002-2003. The trailhead parking lot is now on the right about quarter mile before the Palisade Ranger Station and is about two miles beyond San Pedro Vista. The trailhead has a moderate sized parking lot and an outhouse.
Trail Description
Palisade Trail, FS #99
(Showers Point to Mud Spring)
| Length: 2.9 miles | Hiking Time: 1.5 hours |
| Highest point: 7850 feet | Lowest point: 6700 feet |
| Trail goes downhill | |
This trail goes from the Mt. Lemmon Highway down to Sabino Basin, and is in fairly good shape.
The trailhead is marked by a sign, and is less than half of a mile from Mt. Lemmon Highway along the dirt road to Showers Point campground. This dirt road is immediately south of the Palisades Ranger Station.
The trail starts out descending gently through a Ponderosa Pine forest, which is very shady and cool. After about 40 minutes or so, perhaps a mile to a mile a half, you come to a point where the trail curves across the nose of the ridge, providing a nice view down, and there is a sign marking the boundary of the wilderness area. There is also a sign identifying the trail as the Palisades Trail, #99, at this point.
About an hour and 20 minutes from the trailhead the forest thins out and becomes oak, and the trail starts to get steeper.
You reach Mud Spring about an hour and a half from the trailhead. There is a concrete tub here, and a camping spot about 200 yards up trail from Mud Spring. At this point the trail is descending along the north wall of Pine Canyon.
Palisade Trail, FS #99
(Mud Spring to East Fork Trail)
| Length: 3.9 miles | Hiking Time: 2.3 hours |
| Highest point: 6700 feet | Lowest point: 4150 feet |
| Trail goes downhill | |
At an hour and 50 minutes from the trailhead the trail is still descending along the north side of Pine Canyon, and there are good views of Thimble Peak and a impressive rock spire on the south side of Pine Canyon near its mouth.
At 2 hours, 10 minute from the trailhead the trail makes a dogleg to the north through a level rocky area, and there are good views of Sabino Basin. There is a thick iron wire stretching above the trail here, and the vegetation is manzanita and some scrub pine. The trail crosses the nose of the ridge at this point, and drops into Palisades Canyon.
At 2 hours 30 minutes from the trailhead, the trail descends steeply through rocks and manzanita, and there are good views up Palisades Canyon to the north. After another 20 minutes you are looking down at Sabino Basin and descending steeply down switchbacks through a rocky and grassy area.
At 3 hours 30 minutes from the trailhead the trail is almost down to the bottom, and the vegetation is shindaggers, grass, ocotillo, and occasional small oaks.
At 3 hours 50 minutes you reach an intersection with a sign "East Fork Tr. #24A" just after a creek crossing. Turning left takes you to Bear Canyon. Turning right takes you to Sabino Basin.
Turn right on the East Fork Trail.
East Fork Trail, FS #24A
(Palisade Trail to Sabino Basin)
A tree near the junction with the Box Camp Trail.
| Length: 1.1 miles | Hiking Time: 0.5 hours |
| Highest point: 4150 feet | Lowest point: 3700 feet |
| Trail goes downhill | |
The trail winds along near the creek bottom, descending very gently, through grasslands with manzanita, occasional Saguaros, and some small pine trees. The trail seems nearly level, but there are lots of twists and turns as it follows the contours of the hillside.
After about 25 minutes you reach a sign for "Box Camp Tr. #22." Continuing on the East Fork Trail, you reach another signed intersection in about 5 minutes. To the right is West Fork Trail, #24. To the left is Sabino Canyon Trail, #23.
Bear left on the Sabino Canyon Trail.
Sabino Canyon Trail, FS #23
(Sabino Basin to Phoneline Trail)
A view up the west fork of Sabino Creek, from near Sabino Basin.
A nice resting spot in Sabino Basin.
Looking down Sabino Canyon from near Sabino Basin.
The view up Sabino Canyon towards Sabino Basin from the midpoint of the trail.
Blackett's Ridge, as seen from near where the Sabino Canyon Trail and Phoneline Trail meet.
| Length: 2.0 miles | Hiking Time: 0.75 hours |
| Highest point: 3700 feet | Lowest point: 3550 feet |
| Trail goes downhill | |
This easy and almost level trail segment runs up high along the south wall of Sabino Canyon, connecting the Phoneline Trail to the East Fork and West Fork trails.
From the junction with the East Fork and West Fork Trails the trail climbs up the slope, while heading downcanyon, for about 5 or 10 minutes. It then levels out and begins a long gently descending contour about halfway up the southern wall of Sabino Canyon.
At this point Sabino Canyon is steep and deep, and you can see the wooded stream down below you. The canyon then gets less steep and you can no longer see down to the stream. The view downcanyon is spectacular, with sheer rock faces on the opposite side, and a large rock promontory next to a narrow gap about a mile ahead.
About 45 minutes after leaving the trail junction the trail passes through a small saddle to the left of the large rock promontory which sits in the middle of the canyon. I believe this promontory is where there had been plans to build a dam many years ago.
After you pass through the saddle the canyon is very narrow and deep, and there are amazing views down to the bottom from the trail. The trail then curves to the left and drops down to the signed junction with the Phoneline Trail #27. Turn left to go on the Phoneline trail back to the Sabino Canyon Visitor's Center. Turn right to continue on the Sabino Canyon Trail down to the end of the paved road in Sabino Canyon.
Turn left on the Phoneline Trail if you want to avoid walking on the road down to the Sabino Canyon Visitor's Center. If you want to walk the road or ride the tram, go down the Sabino Canyon Trail. Just give the tram driver $5 to get a ride down.
Phoneline Trail
(Sabino Canyon Trail to cutoff Trail)
| Length: 3.2 miles | Hiking Time: 1.5 hours |
| Highest point: 3550 feet | Lowest point: 3240 feet |
| Trail goes downhill | |
This trail segment parallels the road up Sabino Canyon about halfway up the south wall of the canyon. This is a very nice trail, although you can hear "Sabino Sam" narrating the tram tours pretty clearly at times.
From the trail junction with the Sabino Canyon Trail the trail curves to the south for a bit before going downcanyon, gently descending, to the next trail junction.
Continue straight on the Phoneline Trail, or drop down to the road.
Phoneline Trail
(cutoff trail to Blackett's Ridge Trail)
| Length: 0.4 miles | Hiking Time: 0.2 hours |
| Highest point: 3240 feet | Lowest point: 3040 feet |
| Trail goes downhill | |
Keep going on the Phoneline Trail here.
Phoneline Trail
(Blackett's Ridge Trail to Bear Canyon road)
A typical view from the Phoneline Trail.
| Length: 0.6 miles | Hiking Time: 0.0 hours |
| Highest point: 3040 feet | Lowest point: 2700 feet |
| Trail goes downhill | |
Cross the bridge ahead of you on the paved road.
Bear Canyon Trail, FS #29
(Phoneline Trail to Sabino Canyon Visitor's Center)
| Length: 0.8 miles | Hiking Time: 0.2 hours |
| Highest point: 2700 feet | Lowest point: 2600 feet |
| Trail goes downhill | |
Take the paved road across the bridge over Sabino Creek. After you cross the creek the road hits another road in a T intersection. Turn left here. Go down the paved road for about 5 to 10 minutes, and keep your eye out for a wide dirt track (as wide as a dirt road) which takes off to the left. Turn left on this dirt track, and go another 5 or 10 minutes to the parking lot at Sabino Canyon Visitor's Center.
Winter Hikes - Spring Hikes - Summer Hikes - Fall Hikes
Notes - Hiking Tips - Recommended Books and Maps