Romero Canyon Trail ends at Romero Pass, where it intersects Mt. CF Linda Vista Loop 8. Wasson Peak. Bring hiking shoes or sandals that provide good traction and trekking poles to help with stability. Even if you cant physically explore the world, we hope that you enjoy the escape our site provides. Every view is amazing on this trail, and for any hiker, local or visiting, this should be on your bucketlist. Beautiful looking hike. Discover this 8.9-km out-and-back trail near Catalina, Arizona. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, finding a reliable and concise guide takes a lot of work. Journey was great not necessarily the destination. Today, however, things are different. Basic HTML is allowed. Once you reach the first junction, bear right to stay on course for the pools. Lemmon) and West Fork Sabino Trail (to Sabino Canyon). Area/Length : 6.6 miles Elevation : 2,800 feet - 6,000 feet Ive done a lot more hiking this year but not really in a desert like place such as Arizona. AZ is one of the most biodiverse states in the US! How long is Romero Pools hike? Starting from Catalina State Park, you wind your way up the rocky slopes of the Catalina Mountains for about 3-miles until you reach Romero Pools. Be prepared to get wet lots of people on the trails today. Directions: From the 1-10 (north of Tucson) take exit 240 east onto Tangerine Road. Steep ascents remind you how out of shape you are, while flat spaces between climbs provide a welcome respite (and also keep this hike ranked a 3 on trailvoyant.com, a local Tucson hiking resource). Brown Mountain Remember that grass I mentioned earlier, buffelgrass? Smartest decision we made? Be sure to enjoy the views as you climb. Although more challenging than the previous two hikes -- it's virtually all uphill -- the reward is sweet enough that you'll quickly forget about the difficulty. SunCloud Patrol Polarized Womens Sunglasses. For us, it was a bit of a slug fest. Continue for 13 miles then turn right atCatalina State Park. Theres little respite from the sun on the most difficult part of the trail, so wear a hat and sunscreen and DRINK WATER (I drank my Camelback dry). As a result, it is the most popular hike in Catalina State Park. Beautiful views, though very busy. by Paul Riedinger. We paid $7 for a day pass (check the calendar to time your visit with an event and get the most bang for your buck) and followed the road to the trail head. It's 5.6 miles of moderate hiking with broad, scenic views of Pusch Ridge and the Santa Catalinas, ending at pools and flowing waterfalls. This part of the trail is not as steep as what you will need to tackle further on, and it also features two different ecosystems. Romero Canyon Trail. Vote for leaders that are committed to making positive changes that help us successfully transition our economy away from dirty energy. This fire destroyed many of the landscapes that we locals have loved and enjoyed for decades, and this means that our familiar trails are no longer familiar. There is always something going on (bird tours, music nights) and many trails to travel. Along the way, you see fields of 200-year-old saguaros and jagged rock outcroppings. This is after about an hour long drive up a 25 mile paved, winding road. Continue north. Fire rules are meant to help prevent fires, so please respect them. Another Tucson-area hike, Romero Pools is a 5.5-mile adventure through Catalina State Park. From Romero Pools cross Romero Pass at 6,080 feet before descending on the West Fork Trail #24 before turning south on Sabino Canyon Trail #23. After passing through the desert, you will begin your true climb into the mountains. The water was deep enough to cut off the trail right at the start. It has a slippery chute worn into the sandstone. After 0.3 miles, Main Avenue turns into Oracle Road or SR 77. Bring enough water. 4 hrs This rocky trail follows yet another of the many gorgeous canyons climbing into the Catalinas. The views along the trail to the Romero Pools will take your breath awayif you have any breath left, that is. Hiking info for Romero Pools via Romero Canyon, located in Catalina State Park, Arizona. As the trailzig-zags upcraggy Romero Canyon, between larger-than-life boulder-scapes, a 180 turn reveals increasingly radicalviews ofMarana, stretching all the way to the horizon. } If you arrive and the first pools feel a bit crowded, just continue up the wash. You are sure to find a serene location to take a dip. The well worn trail is easy to follow for it's entire length to the Romero Pools. The views along the trail to the Romero Pools will take your breath awayif you have any breath left, that is. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Here at Coleman Concierge, we encourage everyone to travel responsibly and believe there is potential for tremendous good for the world following that ethos. Quick Facts If you are out of shape, this could be gut wrenching but perseverance is well-rewarded. Youll stretch your legs up and over steep steps, hop from rock to rock and carefully balance close to the trails edge. We didnt feel like the incline was all that difficult. Id love to hike there. 72K subscribers in the Tucson community. Starting from Catalina State Park, you wind your way up the rocky slopes of the Catalina Mountains for about 3-miles until you reach Romero Pools. Each pool sits in a stone basin, with water running down from the highest points of the mountains and down towards the desert below. Rocky and steep, but we enjoyed the views and the water at the top was very refreshing! 5mi 4h 30m Show 3 More Check-Ins Nearby Recommended Routes Canyon Loop via Horse Trail 3.1 mi 285' Up 286' Down Honeybee Canyon Short Loop 12.3 mi 456' Up 457' Down Catalina, AZ Department of Medical Imaging 1501 N. Campbell | P.O. Overtourism can lead to overcrowding, environmental damage, and cultural disruption. invasive plants), is a dangerous cycle. Stay right here. Any car can access this trail-headeasily. April 2018 is a dry year. Stunning trail and the cool pools were a gift. In the past, lightning could light fires in the desert, but the pre-colonial Sonoran Desert was patchy. Here they can send their tap roots down to harvest the water below. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Catalina State Park charges an entrance fee. Hiking poles HIGHLY recommended except those who have strong legs, great knees. Glad I came up early because tons of hikers on my way down. We've got hundreds of well documented Arizona hikes. width: 360px; Help hold major polluting companies accountable for their impacts so that they will innovate on solutions. --> Trail is very well maintained and easy to follow to the water pools. We took our boots off and waded across the steadily flowing wash. Once on the other side of the wash, you'll reach a trailhead junction. The Romero Pools section is an extremely popular portion of this scenic trail, but there's so much more after the pools! You'll be sharing the trail with 20-40 other hikers. The hike takes you to a beautiful desert oasis set in a canyon with water that flows most, if not all of the year. Water cascades down the granite cliffs into clear pools that you can relax around, and swim or wade into. Thanks to his dad and the Boy Scouts, he was able to spend a lot of time hiking at an early age. (Did you know that if a saguaro is burned 30%+, it will die?) They need their host plant when they are young, which they eventually kill as they grow. Cheers! Trail then starts to climb and get more challenging. This is the location of the Romero Pools and the turn around point for this hike. We weren't allowed to interact with sea lions at t, You know how the saying goes - when life gives you, This was my first sunset of my first @UnCruise in, Rickwood caverns might be Alabama's most adventuro, It's finally time for me to start my first UnCruis, We're excited to try UnCruise, because, at Coleman, 15 Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Petra Jordan, Understanding Overtourism And How To Travel Responsibly, Comprehensive Luxury Jordan Itinerary - Experience the Best of Jordan, the latest CDC recommendations for travelers, Trailhead: Catalina State Park. This article covers the 15. parseInt("360px") + 'px'); We passed an ancient mortar stone where the Indians would grind mesquite pods into flour. Mount Kimball. 1,732 Tucson AZ Homes for Sale. This cycle will change the landscape of the Sonoran Desert forever, unless we do something. This hike begins in the town of Summerhaven in Mount Lemmon, Tuscon AZ. This is the source for everything you need to know about Arizona Hiking. He completed his first 14-mile day hike at age 7 in Zion National Park and was backpacking by age 11. We got up early the first morning and hit the canyon loop trail and part of the Romero Pools hike. I visited a friend in Tucson, Arizona for about a month in 2005 and didnt get much hiking in, and Ive been kicking myself ever since. Learn more about overtourism and tips for sustainable travel here! This was a hard hike. Daylight and weather are also key- do not hike during monsoons and avoid hiking this trail at night. Some of these were native and others, like buffelgrass, were introduced from other parts of the world. #layout .region-inner { . On the ascent, hikers are treated to breathtaking views of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The best times to visit this trail are September through May. Climb to the highest peak in the Tucson Mountain. If you hike another 0.3 miles, you will encounter another set of pools. It takes 10 years for a baby saguaro to reach one inch tall. We are Jenn and Ed Coleman aka Coleman Concierge. You then drive to the trailhead parking lot. Take it easygo slow, take breaks. People underestimate how diverse and living the desert is. .main-inner .fauxcolumn-center-outer { They are old and slow growing. Well maintained trail. Crossed it by taking off our shoes (not waterproof). Your email address will not be published. riving along busy Oracle Road, with its plethora of housing developments and shopping malls, one does not expect the grand and wild beauty that awaits We didn't use poles and didn't miss them either. Romero Canyon is a significant drainage and has the potential for flash flooding, so be cautious and look up the forecast before you go. right: 100%; padding-right: 360px; First 1.1 miles is easy walking, smooth well-traveled trail to the Montrose pools. One of Tucsons favorite hikes, I write up my experience on a trek to the Romero Pools. I use.