Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, Tucson (copy)

The deserts of Sabino Canyon on September 8, 2016

The visitor center in Sabino Canyon will be closed indefinitely amid concerns surrounding coronavirus, officials announced.

Starting today, the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Visitor Center and the lower parking lot will be closed "for the health and safety of visitors and staff," according to a Coronado National Forest news release.

A fee tube is located in the Overflow Parking Lot, which accepts exact change for an $8 day-use pass, the release said. More information can be found here

The Cactus Picnic Area Group Site will also be closed and the Sabino Canyon Crawler shuttle service has suspended its operations until further notice. The shuttle service is owned by the Regional Partnering Center.

"The Regional Partnering Center (RPC) will continue to monitor the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and comply with any recommendations made by the Forest Service, the Federal Transit Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and the local health department," the press release says.

Any pre-purchased tickets with departures through April 3 will be refunded.

Earlier this week, Tumamoc Hill, on Tucson's west side, closed to the public.


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Contact reporter Gloria Knott at gknott@tucson.com or 573-4235. On Twitter: @gloriaeknott