Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rock Trail for about 50 yards to a drop-off with good views of Romero Canyon
and Mount Lemmon. To reach Mount Kimball, however, you need to take the Pima
Canyon Trail, which is actually a little less steep than the hike has been thus far. The
trail sign is at 6,850 feet elevation, so you have only another 400 feet to gain.
As you set out on the Pima Canyon Trail, you'll immediately see views of the
rounded peak of Mount Kimball to the northwest. After about 0.5 mile, the trail
reaches a saddle with two small rock cairns on either side of the path (pranksters occa-
sionally remove one). Here, turn right (north) onto a short trail that follows the pine-
forested crest of Mount Kimball to a viewpoint—don't stop here, because there's a
better view to come. Continue right for another 100 yards or so until you come to a
dining table-sized boulder that marks the summit. Immediately behind it is a lovely
rocky outcrop upon which you can rest and take in the expansive views, which stretch
from the southwest to north and around to the southeast.
Major landmarks include Picacho Peak, sitting alone in the desert at 290° north-
west; the white domes of the Biosphere, almost due north; Mount Lemmon, to the
northeast; and, to the southeast, Tanque Verde Ridge and Mica Mountain, which at
8,666 feet is the highest peak in the Rincons. Don't forget to look straight down over
the northern edge of the rocky outcrop to catch sight of an elegantly thin rock spire
rising 100 feet up out of the forest.
Mount Kimball was named after Frederick Kimball, an Arizona state senator who
helped develop Summerhaven as a summer getaway for Tucsonans during the first
three decades of the 20th century. He was also a supporter of preservation and conser-
vation in the Catalinas.
Most hikers return the way they came, though alternatively you can continue on
the Pima Canyon Trail to the Pima Canyon Trailhead, 7.1 miles away, for a tough
12.2-mile trip that requires a car shuttle.
Nearby Attractions
Directions
See directions for
Hike 22
—the same parking area is used.
