This trail segment is not nearly as popular as the lower one to Romero Pools, so you can find some solitude by continuing on beyond Romero Pools.

Just above Romero Pools the canyon bottom is wide and mostly level, and there are a lot of faint trails in addition to the main trail. Just keep heading up canyon and you will eventually be on the right trail again if you get sidetracked. About 6 or 7 minutes above the Romero Pools crossing you will come to another stream crossing in a beautiful rocky area with pools and waterfalls. After another 10 minutes you cross the stream again and the trail starts climbing up the north canyon wall in preparation for getting high enough to get around a narrow and deep gorge which is up ahead.

After about 20 minutes or so of ascending you have climbed a ways up and can see the narrow gorge up ahead down below you to the right. After another 20 minutes of climbing the trail starts to level out and there is a flat grassy spot to the right of the trail with a fire ring. From here the trail levels out and contours along the canyon wall for a little bit before descending down a short distance to the old trail camp, which is a clearing among large pine trees down in the canyon bottom. There are two trails out of the clearing; the one to the left is the real trail; the one to the right just goes to the stream.

This trail segment continues up Romero Canyon, and then turns to the right to climb up to Romero Pass.

The section of the trail is mostly forested, going through large evergreens, including lots of large alligator junipers. There should be water here as late as May in normal years.

The trail stays near the stream for a bit with some stream crossings before climbing up the north side of the canyon again. The trail then drops back down to the stream and crosses it, followed by a half mile stretch that stays near the stream. At a stream crossing about 40 minutes after leaving the old trail camp the trail leaves the stream and climbs south up a wooded side canyon. About 20 minutes after leaving the stream, the trail gets very steep, with lots of short switchbacks, for the last 10 minutes up to Romero Pass.

At the pass, you can see down behind the front range towards Sabino Basin, and there is a trail junction at little beyond the point where you crest the saddle. The trail going downhill and to the right (the West Fork Trail) drops down to the intersection of the West Fork and Cathedral Rock trails. The trail going uphill and to the right (the Mt. Lemmon Trail) heads to Mt. Lemmon.

Take the Mt. Lemmon Trail uphill.

This remote trail segment connects the higher elevations characterized by ponderosa pines with the lower oak/manzanita/juniper zone.

Right after the trail junction the trail scrambles up along the ridge top, and at times it is a little hard to follow. If you lose the trail, just keep heading up the ridgeline, and you will pick it up again.

The first mile or so of this segment is very rough, but as of May 1997 it had recently been trimmed very thoroughly, so at least you don't have to fight the underbrush. It climbs up toward Mt. Lemmon along the ridge line for about 45 minutes through lots of rock formations until you get to the beginning of a series of steep switchbacks which takes you up the slope below the Wilderness of Rocks. After these switchbacks the trail gets less steep and heads to the north through large pines, contouring along the slope near its top. This part of the trail is a nice contrast to the preceding portions since it is partly shaded, almost level, and passes through large pines, including some ponderosas. After a bit of this you get to a very large low rock formation to the left of the trail where you can sit and look at the great views to the north. Right after this spot the trail curves to the right and you can see Mt. Lemmon directly ahead of you, and the Wilderness of Rocks spread out below you. From there it is a short ways downhill to the signed junction with the Wilderness of Rocks Trail. At this intersection the Wilderness of Rocks Trail is to the right, and the Mt. Lemmon Trail continues to the left.

Go right on the Wilderness of Rocks Trail.

This segment connects the Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail to the Mt. Lemmon Trail, traveling without much elevation change through the heart of the Wilderness of Rocks. The area is almost all open pine forest (little shade) with large rock formations. Because the Wilderness of Rocks is relatively flat (for the Catalinas) and open, it is easy to wander off the trail and explore.

From the trail junction with the Mt. Lemmon Trail, the trail descends relatively gently into the Wilderness of Rocks, and then winds its way through the rock formations with some incidental elevation gain and loss. The first landmark is where the trail crosses Lemmon Creek in thick pine forest, about 50 minutes in. There are pools downstream from the stream crossing, and a great camping spot about 200 feet upstream. You can find water here even in the driest years, but if it has been too dry the water may be salty.

About 8 minutes after the stream crossing the next landmark is a park with large ponderosa pines. A little bit further there is another park, which is not as nice as the first, and then a short distance beyond that is the signed trail junction with the Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail, which comes in from the left. The Wilderness of Rocks Trail continues towards Marshall Gulch straight ahead.

Turn left on the Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail

This trail leaves the Mt. Lemmon Trail just below the top of Mt. Lemmon, and descends past Lemmon Rock Lookout to the junction with the Wilderness of Rocks Trail in the Wilderness of Rocks.

After the trail junction the trail begins to climb, still in the rock formations and open pine forest of the Wilderness of Rocks. As you go higher, there are fewer rock formations, the trail gets steeper and starts to use switchbacks, and the forest gets thicker. You can see Rappel Rock up ahead, and you will pass to the right of it.

The trail comes to a point where it is about even with the base of Rappel Rock, and there are great views of it from about a half mile away (see picture). From here the trail climbs steeply using switchbacks. Keep your eye out for Lemmon Rock Lookout, with its little cabin. When you see it you know that you are getting near the end. At the end of the switchbacks the trail comes to a dirt road, about an hour and 10 minutes up from the trail junction. Lemmon Rock Lookout is a short distance to the right, and is worth a visit, but to reach the end of the Lemmon Rock Lookout trail you turn left on the dirt road and head uphill. The real end of the Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail is a signed junction where the dirt road you are on hits another dirt road, which is the Mt. Lemmon Trail.

Turning right on the Mt. Lemmon Trail takes you to the top of Mt. Lemmon. To the left goes down to the junction with the Sutherland Trail, and then the end of the Wilderness of Rocks Trail.

Turn right (uphill) on the Mt. Lemmon Trail

This short segment goes between the dirt parking lot near the summit of Mt. Lemmon and the junction with the Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail.

Head up the dirt road from the junction with the Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail until you reach a metal gate across the road near the top. From here follow the dirt road until it hits pavement after about 100 yards, then turn right on the pavement and go a short distance to the parking lot just after a metal gate. The parking lot is unpaved, and is next to a fenced-in electric substation.