Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
is signed “Seven Falls.” This paved road, which heads briefly south and then east, is
the route that the Bear Canyon shuttle takes, and many hikers walk out along it. A
more natural alternative is to take the trail, which parallels the road on the north side.
This trail shares the Phoneline Trail for about 150 feet, and then a small sign indic-
ates Bear Canyon Trail #29—here, go right (south) for about 200 feet before swinging
around to the east.
From the almost-flat trail, you catch glimpses of the road to the right and see
Blackett's Ridge rearing up a mile to your left, with several ridges of the Santa
Catalina Mountains behind. Flowers abound in spring, and saguaros surround you
year-round. You'll meet the paved road after about 0.5 mile. This is where the Bear
Canyon Shuttle ends at Stop 3, with a restroom, water, and a shadeless picnic table
and barbecue grill. If you're riding the shuttle, make sure you know when the last one
leaves for the return journey.
The road continues east but is now unpaved, and the trail continues paralleling
it to the north. After 0.4 mile, the unpaved road ends at a ramada with a bench and
a water faucet—fill up your water bottles here. From this point, you'll be heading
east-northeast on a narrow, rocky, but clear trail following the left side of Bear Creek,
which you'll be crossing seven times as you climb gently up the canyon. The first
crossing is 0.25 mile from the end of the unpaved road—look for a short flight of
rocky steps on the far side of the creek. The crossing is obvious in dry months but
can be a challenge during spring runoffs or fall monsoons. If you have any problems
wading across in the wet months, you might consider that this is the first of seven
crossings!
Most hikers, most of the time, forge on. The first six crossings are clustered to-
gether in a 0.6-mile stretch, so if you get your feet wet, you might want to just keep
sloshing on rather than drying off every time. The trail is partially shaded by a ripari-
an woodland of willow, ash, and mesquite trees with birds flitting among them, but a
glance upward at the walls of Bear Canyon reminds you that you're in the desert.
Half a mile beyond the sixth river crossing, a small sign indicates that the trail
drops to the left (north) bank of the creek for a short while. If water levels are high,
you might have to scramble over a rough and steep little outcrop. About 300 feet
farther you'll come to the seventh crossing, which is the least obvious—hikers often
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