Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Douglas Spring Trail goes left, slightly north of east. (A third trail heads north to the
park boundary.)
If you choose the falls, it's barely 0.25 mile to their base, surrounded by a grove
of surprisingly large trees that escaped the devastation of the 1989 fire. The waterfall
is seasonal and dry most months of the year, barely dripping at other times. If you
hit it lucky, after an early-spring snow melt-off or soon after a late-summer monsoon,
you could see it in full spate, but this only lasts for several days rather than weeks.
Still, it makes a good turnaround point for the shorter hike.
Continuing on the Douglas Springs Trail, you'll cross a stream about 100 yards
beyond the junction. If it's running, there's water in the falls. The trail is narrow but
clear as it climbs gently through open grassland, with grand views of the Rincons
ahead and around and distant vistas of the Tucson valley behind. This section lacks
shade and can be tedious on a hot day. Soon, you'll pass through a region of shin-
stabbing yuccas, often decorated with impressively tall, flowering spikes that persist
throughout the winter.
After a series of switchbacks, you'll notice the flora changing again and becom-
ing bushier, with small trees. On the right, a shallow, rocky watercourse may have
pools of water or even a trickling stream. The variety of vegetation and splashes of
water attract wildlife. When I hiked in March, I met an excited young woman who
told me that she had just seen her first mountain lion. All I saw were a pair of deer,
some squirrels, and a variety of birds. By April, you should keep your eyes open for
lizards and especially rattlesnakes.
For the final almost 2 miles, the trail undulates, cresting false ridges and dropping
down, occasionally crossing a damp spot if there has been rain, until finally it reaches
the high point, a few hundred yards before reaching Douglas Spring Campground. A
sign indicates an elevation of 4,800 feet, but it's about 100 feet lower on most to-
pographic maps. Water is available for several months of the year from the spring,
which is on the right of the trail just before the campground, but it shouldn't be relied
on and needs to be treated. There are a handful of campsites and an ugly vault toi-
let—reportedly it was far prettier before the 1989 fire.
