One of the perks of living in Tucson is that we have a trove of scenic treasures near at hand.
A prime example: Pima Canyon.
The canyon — a long, deep slash in the southwestern flank of the Catalina Mountains — is close to the city, stands out as a prime preserve of Sonoran Desert scenery, and offers easy to moderate hiking in its lower reaches.
A hike on the Pima Canyon Trail on a sunny day between winter weather systems offers good exercise in fresh air and photo ops virtually every step of the way.
Options range from a short, easygoing day hike to a long, difficult trek involving some 4,000 feet of elevation gain. That long version isn’t recommended for anyone who’s not a strong, experienced hiker.
A popular choice on the trail is a walk of about 3.2 miles from the trailhead to the site of a dam that was built as a source of water for wildlife. That hike involves an elevation gain of about 700 vertical feet.
Scenery along the way includes grand stands of saguaros and other desert vegetation including palo verde trees, ocotillos and cactus species such as prickly pear, barrel and cholla.
The canyon creek is often flowing at this time of year with runoff from valley rain and mountain snow.
Watch slopes above the trail in the first mile of the hike and you might spot a rare crested saguaro.
A few ocotillos were showing red blooms in the third week of January, and spring wildflowers will begin blooming in the coming weeks.
