Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Route Details
From the trailhead, you'll be forced to follow a narrow path for almost a mile, with
chain-link fences on either side and forbidding No Trespassing signs. This is actually
not as bad as it sounds: Thick vegetation and boisterous birdsong provide a good in-
troduction to the trail, and hikers are happy that landowners were able to provide a
corridor to the canyon. Even within this 15-foot-wide corridor, you'll cross a stream
a few times as you ascend almost unnoticeably.
A switchback gateway, marking the border between private properties in Pima
County and Coronado National Forest, is designed so that horses cannot pass. You
come to a sign for Ventana Trail #98, beyond which the trail continues its gentle as-
cent, with a few more creek crossings. These are usually very straightforward, with
rock slabs conveniently placed to keep your feet dry. In summer and late fall, the
crossings are often dry, and they rarely fill to where you'll have to wade. In spring,
you'll see butterflies along the creek.
Soon the canyon narrows, and dramatic rock cliffs and towers dominate the view.
At times it feels as if you're surrounded by an Asian-mountain painting. About 1.5
miles into the hike, at around 3,400 feet elevation, you'll hit a series of switchbacks
and find yourself climbing quite steeply. The trail is rocky but firm and clear, eventu-
ally topping out at a saddle at about 4,250 feet elevation.
Here, you're rewarded with a great view to the south of the eastern reaches of
growing Tucson. The flat area in the middle distance is the Davis-Monthan Air Force
Base, with Mount Wrightson and the Santa Ritas dominating the horizon. A couple
of flat places on the saddle are good spots for a picnic. Beyond, the trail drops a few
hundred yards to the Maiden Pools.
The pools are on the right side of the trail and extend for several hundred yards.
Some are linked by pretty little waterfalls, and social side trails give access to a
few (but not all) of the pools. After extended dry periods, such as June-July, before
the monsoons, and November-December, before the winter snowmelt, the pools are
mainly dry.
Above the pools, the thick vegetation attests that there's water in the canyon for
most of the year. Oak trees are common, with occasional aspens, sycamores, and
cottonwoods livening up the mix and many smaller bushes grabbing at your legs.
