Our temps have dropped into double digits. That, friends, constitutes fall.
Aaaaaaaaahhh.
So get out and enjoy — enjoy the autumn colors and walking in the direct sun without feeling like you’re melting into a puddle.
The Star’s hiker extraordinaire, Doug Kreutz, has written about hikes in our neck of the woods. Here are a few of our favorites:
Sabino Canyon
The 3.9-mile road is great for walkers and runners (that’s one way). The canyon’s paved and gentle dirt paths are easy to navigate, too. Autumn colors are exploding, and you might even find running water. Bonus: Bathrooms and water are readily available. If you prefer to take in the scenery without breaking a sweat, you can hop onto a tram for a fee.
Sabino is at 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road. The U.S. Forest Service charges a $5 per vehicle entrance fee.
Tucson Mountain Park,
Brown Mountain Trail
There is a maze of trails through this park west of Tucson and on the edge of Saguaro National Park. But it’s the Brown Mountain Trail that we keep returning to. Just under 2½ miles, it’s a gentle hike that brings us through country that reminds us over and over why we love it here. Keep your eyes out for wildlife — and for flattop rocks that offer a nature-made seat so you can rest and take in the country. Be careful leaving the trail and climbing onto the rocks. And don’t harm the vegetation. Please.
To get to the trail, take Speedway and continue on it as it becomes Gates Pass Road. Turn right (northwest) onto Kinney Road and follow it 0.6 of a mile to a left (southwest) turnoff for McCain Loop Road. Continue about 0.4 of a mile to the trailhead.
Madera Canyon
The canyon is 40 miles south of and worlds away from Tucson. This time of year, daytime temperatures are in the mid-70s, and the paved, Accessible Trails offer an easy walk. Plus they are wheelchair friendly. Chances are you’ll catch a glimpse of wildlife, from squirrels to mule deer. But it is the birds, especially the hummingbirds — 15 different species of the hard-working birds are found at Madera — that are so abundant here.
Go South on Interstate 19 to Continental exit in Green Valley. Follow the signs southeast to Madera Canyon; there is a $5 parking fee.
Sunset Trail,
Catalina Mountains
Just because it’s in the mountains doesn’t mean it’s a hard trek.
It’s a 1.6-mile hike from Soldier Camp to Marshall Gulch near Summerhaven. It goes through the evergreen forest, past rock outcrops, and offers a spectacular view of a canyon. It can get a bit steep and rocky, so be careful.
Take the Mount Lemmon highway to Soldier Camp cabin area, between mile markers 22 and 23. Follow the left trail leading out of the parking lot. If you would rather take the Marshall Gulch trailhead, pass the village of Summerhaven and follow the road about a mile to the parking area. The trail starts at the end of the lot and goes along a stream bed before veering uphill over rocky terrain.
