The monsoon has brought a bounty of rain-washed beauty to Sabino Canyon northeast of Tucson β from lush greenery and bright red saguaro fruits to tranquil pools teeming with tadpoles, toads and other aquatic critters.
If rains continue, the mostly dry Sabino Creek is likely to regain its flow later this month.
Walkers who visit the canyon early in the morning for a short outing can avoid the worst of the dayβs heat β but prepare for monsoon humidity and possible thunderstorms.
A walk up the main canyon road leads to expanses of dazzling stream-side greenery and, on some days, cloud-shrouded ridges. Also visible along the way are saguaro cacti festooned with bright red fruits.
Those who take a side trek on the short Bluff Trail might pass clumps of mushrooms and pools of water β some of them teeming with hundreds of tadpoles and others hosting the mating activities of canyon toads.
Be aware that Sabino Creek, like other desert watercourses, can rise quickly and even create a flash flood after periods of heavy rain over the canyon and in the Catalina Mountains above.
Sabino Canyon is at 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road. The U.S. Forest Service charges a $5 per vehicle fee for day use.
