Seven Falls

Summary:

Seven Falls is probably one of the most popular trails near Tucson. A gentle climb out of the valley over the course of about 3.5 miles will lead you up Bear Canyon, meandering through Bear Creek along the way. At times the trail can be a little tricky to find where it crosses the creek, just follow the footprints.

It’s possible to reduce the overall length of the hike by a couple miles round trip by taking the Sabino Canyon shuttles, however the shuttles don’t start service until 9AM; during the warmer months this is too late to beat the heat. Staring on foot at the Bear Canyon trailhead at 7AM; it was supposed to reach a high of 93F during the day of the hike, and while not extreme, there was little protection and it was quite hot by the time we wrapped up around 11AM. Sure enough there were plenty of people starting at 9AM sweating away on the way back down for us. I would shoot for starting off at around 6 this time of year, and even earlier in the middle of summer.

The canyon itself is quite nice; lots of big rock formations, saguaros, and a healthy dose of greenery such as grasses and sycamore trees. There were fewer insects to keep you company compared to other trails in the area at this time of year – a good thing. Ending at Seven Falls, there was plenty of water to cool down with, even swim in.

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