This is such an interesting place to visit because of the rare diversity found within the canyon. Side by side are cactus-covered slopes, mountaintop forests, sheer cliffs, flowing streams, and hidden canyons. The combination of mountainous and desert terrain with the Sabino Creek running through it is just gorgeous.
As always, our first stop was at the Visitor Center.
There are interesting displays as well as a gift shop inside.
Park rangers can also be found at the Visitor Center who provide provide information on hiking, biking, camping and general background about the area. Be sure to pick up a guide that provides information on the various trails.
View from the Visitor Center with the Santa Catalina Mountains in the background.
There are two shuttle buses that you can catch next to the Visitor Center. One is primarily used by hikers to access the Bear Canyon and has three stops on the 1.9 mile one-way trip. We took the second shuttle bus to the Sabino Canyon. There are 9 stops along the 3.7 mile route. Passengers can hop off at any stop on the way up through the canyon or grab a ride back to the Visitor Center from any stop. There are also restrooms and picnic tables at some of the stops.
Shuttle tickets for adults cost $8/each and is about a 50-minute round trip. There is a booth outside the Visitor Center where you can purchase tickets. They only accepted cash (no credit cards or checks) when we were there.
While waiting for the shuttle I snapped these closeups of some vegetation there.
We rode the Sabino Canyon shuttle bus, which is an open air tram, to the 9th stop. The driver provided a very interesting narrative along the way about the canyon, vegetation, native animals, and key landmarks. We then walked down to the Visitor Center from there stopping for a picnic lunch along the way.
Cliffs. The plants seem to grow out of the rock. Those saguaro cacti can weigh two tons!
Sabino Creek originates on Mt. Lemmon and is fed by summer thunderstorms and winter snows. It drops 6,000' through the Sabino Canyon. There was only a small amount of water flowing because of the time of year when we visited, but it was very beautiful nonetheless at many points along our 3.5 mile hike.
We could hear the sound of gurgling water from the Creek during the hike down the Canyon. Very peaceful and serene.
An earthquake about 100 years ago, caused many boulders and smaller rocks to tumble down from the canyon walls to the creek bed.
My handsome husband and hiking partner.
John is always fascinated by all of the burrows we see in this terrain.
He tries to stick the camera with telephoto lens into the hole to try to get a picture of what may be hiding in there (too dark!) When Sadie is with us, she likes to stick her nose in there and sniff around. Me, I like to steer clear of them! I don't want to know what might be in there!
We loved seeing the beautiful autumn leaves here. It's an interesting contrast to the cactus.
We stopped at this lovely spot enjoying the silence and beauty of the creek and trees.
It was surprising to see so many fish in this one spot.
There are many interesting rock formations that can be seen along the trail.
This cliff face is 400', equivalent to a 40-story building.
Here are some views as we were reaching the bottom of the canyon.
I am not sure what these are...although at first they looked like mushrooms. Maybe they are little cactus sprouts??
We saw this squirrel scampering around. He was sitting right on top of a fishhook barrel cactus and I have no idea how he avoids all of the thorns. Here he is in the middle of some decaying prickly pear where many small mammals make their homes.
This has been one of our favorite nature hikes (although we stayed mostly on the road that the shuttle bus traverses). The beauty is inspiring and the combination of canyon walls, vegetation, and the creek made for a memorable visit. We highly recommend this recreation area for exploring the very interesting and diverse terrain found here.
Admission is $5/per vehicle per day and is only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. John's senior pass got us in for free. There is a charge for the shuttle bus. Many folks just come to the area for hiking or mountain biking as there are various trails that start from the Visitor Center. Check out their web site for Visitor Center hours of operation and other information activities available.
Website: www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado
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