Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and vegetation is fairly thick year-round, so the trail never goes far in a straight line,
instead twisting and turning around clumps of cactus or large rocks.
Almost 2 miles from the Juan Santa Cruz Picnic Area, a hard fork to the left
(north) goes over a tiny, broken concrete dam—don't take this trail. Continue south-
east, with your eyes open for the decapitated cactus you saw near the beginning of the
hike. It's on the right side of the trail, about 100 yards beyond the fork over the dam.
At the cactus, turn left (northeast) and return to the parking area, which is less than
200 yards away but not visible until you are almost back to your car.
Nearby Attractions
The movie studios at
Old Tucson
(201 S. Kinney Rd.; 520-883-0100,
oldtuc-
son.com
)
have been active for more than 70 years. John Wayne and many other actors
shot their way to fame in Westerns made here. Today the studios are still used for film-
ing but are also open as a tourist attraction, with actors performing stunts and mixing
with the crowds. Gold panning, stagecoach rides, Wild West gun fights, and an old-
time saloon are among the attractions. Admission: $16.95 for guests age 12 and over,
$10.95 for kids ages 4-12, free for kids age 3 and younger; check the website for spe-
cific days and hours of operation.
Directions
Drive west on Speedway Boulevard, one of Tucson's longest and most important
east-west thoroughfares. (I-10 intersects Speedway at Exit 257.) Speedway becomes
Gates Pass Road at Camino de Oeste, 4.8 miles west of I-10. Continue on Gates Pass
Road for 4.6 miles, crossing Gates Pass (no RVs or trailers allowed). Where Gates
Pass Road intersects Kinney Road, turn right on Kinney and drive 0.8 mile to the
Brown Mountain Picnic Area, on your left.
If you have an RV or trailer, Kinney Road is reached on Ajo Way (AZ 86) from
south Tucson. Ajo Way intersects I-10 at Exit 263 or I-19 at Exit 99; drive west from
these exits and turn right from Ajo Way onto Kinney. From here it's about 6 miles to
the Brown Mountain Picnic Area.
