Sabino Canyon Recreational Area

After a late start this morning, we decided to take the drive to Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. Sabino Canyon is nestled in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains and is about 12 miles from downtown Tucson. A paved road runs 3.8 miles up into the canyon and crosses over 9 very narrow bridges like the one shown below.

There are shuttles that runs up and down the canyon every half-hour and costs $8 per person. You can get on and off at any of the nine stops. You can also walk up the canyon (almost all uphill) or take any of the trails with only paying your $5 park admission. We decided that takng the shuttle up and then walking down was more appealing. We also were treated to some of the history, legends, flora, and fauna of the park. Our shuttle broke down just past Stop 3. We had to wait about 15 minutes before a replacement shuttle came to the rescue and then we were off again.

The white tree to the right of the bridge is an Arizona Sycamore. The cottonwoods are a bright green and we were told they consume about 200 gallons of water a day.

Winding through the canyon, you are greeted with magnificent views of the meandering creek, riparian vegetation, saguaros growing out of the canyon walls, and towering rock formations.

At each of the nine stops, there are picnic areas and some with nice beach access. Different hiking trails are also easily accessed from some of the stops. The NPS (National Park Service) was making sure to advise everyone that there has been some Mountain Lion activity that they are concerned over and handed out information as to what not to do if you encounter one and whom to notify. Good reason not to venture to far off the main road in my opinion. The locals come up to Sabino Canyon in the summer to enjoy cooler temperatures. We read that the canyon can be 10-15 degrees cooler than Tucson in the summer.

This is the first Prickly Pear that I have seen with fruit.

Look at all the greenery that is visible on the mountainside. I'm sure it won't be this green in a few months time.

We thought these wild flowers look like California Poppy's ... no idea if that is what they are.

We rode the shuttle up to the last drop-off area and walked the 3.8 miles down. It was very interesting to see a desert environment but hear the sounds of rushing water.

No cars are allowed and the only transportation in the canyon is the park's shuttle. Bicycles can ride the road only before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. everyday except Wednesday and Saturday. It was very nice to be able to walk down the road without having to worry about cars and since you heard the shuttles coming, it was easy to get out of their way.

Pretty little butterfly enjoying the nectar from the little yellow wild flowers.

We were almost back to the Visitor's Center when John spotted this saguaro and noticed something odd about it. The large hole on the left arm appears to have something in it. In enlarging the photo, you can see that an owl (we believe a Great Horned Owl) is resting inside. Pretty neat, we only wish we had our binoculars with us (we left them in the car, go figure).

Thankfully, it wasn't as warm as it had been a few days ago or the walk down the canyon would have been hot, hot, hot. The hats, sunscreen, and water all made the walk pleasant as 99 percent of the trip down was in the sun.

I wouldn't hesitate to take in the canyon again; it is definitely worth the trip to see. One word of warning is that the parking lot is quite small. We had to tour the parking lot a bit before finally finding a spot. The earlier in the day, the better for getting a parking spot. Also, there is another shuttle trip to Bear Canyon (part of Sabino Canyon) that we did not take. Darn, wish we had. This park is open 24 hours a day. Many people will hike up to the creek near dusk to view animals as they come to the water to drink. The shuttle driver said that it was rather spooky walking out of the canyon at dark imagining that you are under the watchful eye of something. I'm sure you would be!

We got home and chilled the rest of the evening. John took so many pictures that it took some time to go through them and to select the ones I wanted to post to the blog. Hope you enjoyed them.