Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
After about a mile, the trail drops quite suddenly to cross the usually dry creek
bed—this is about as far as many casual walkers go, and you'll see fewer people con-
tinuing on. To your left are photogenic views of the mountains of Pusch Ridge, which
form the northern edge of Pima Canyon.
Hike along the right side of the creek bed for a few hundred yards, then cross
again to the left side briefly before returning to the right side. This third crossing may
have trickles of water (not in late spring and summer) and has a few short false trails.
One of the middle trails continues to climb along the right side of the creek bed and
above a lush area of mesquites.
Over the next mile you'll recross the creek, usually dry but sometimes flowing
shallowly, another half-dozen times. Lovely riparian woodlands of mesquite and cot-
tonwoods indicate that there is water underfoot, even if it is infrequently seen. As you
climb higher, the canyon walls close in around you for a stretch before they open into
a shallow basin.
About 2.5 miles from the trailhead, around 3,800 feet elevation, the woodlands
give way to gorgeous high-desert vegetation dominated by stick-like ocotillos and
staghorn chollas, spiky yuccas and agaves, and a variety of cacti. Soon the trail
crosses some rocky slabs with cairns helping you find the way, and then it threads
its way between two grapefruit-sized depressions in the rock. These are mortars, used
centuries ago by Native American women to grind mesquite beans and other local
plants.
A couple of hundred yards beyond the mortars, on a short side trail to the left, is a
rock-and-mortar dam, some 5 feet high and 15 feet across, built about 50 years ago by
Arizona Game and Fish to provide water for wildlife. Behind it there's almost always
a small pool of water, which attracts butterflies, birds, amphibians, occasional deer,
and who knows what else. This is a frequent turnaround spot for hikers looking for a
shorter scenic trip; it's about 6 miles out-and-back.
Cairns indicate the main trail continuing northeast up Pima Canyon and gradually
merging into oak woodlands. About a mile above the dam, the trail becomes thin,
loose in places, and rather exposed. It's not very difficult, but a novice hiker with a
fear of heights might want to turn back here, because it does get steeper and looser.
The trail drops suddenly and begins to cross the canyon for the umpteenth time,
but this time it climbs a central buttress that splits the canyon before crossing the
