ARIZONA TRAIL RINCON VALLEY PASSAGE #8
Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead to Colossal Cave Mountain Park
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| Cienega Creek is a reliable water source |
Also known as the "three bridges" section, Passage
8 of state-traversing Arizona Trail winds through a swath of desert south of
Tucson. Although it's one of the
shortest and easiest of the 43 passages that comprise the 817-mile trail, this
14.8-mile trek is special because it's home to the first stands of saguaro
cactuses encountered when hiking the trail from south-to-north. The hike begins
at the Gabe Zimmerman trailhead with a contemplative stroll around memorials to
the victims of the January 2011 Tucson shooting that wounded Arizona
Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. From here, the route descends into Davidson
Canyon and the fringes of Cienega Creek Natural Preserve where perennial waters
and shady cottonwoods make for a popular camping and water stocking spot.
(Note: if you want to leave the trail and explore around the creek, permits are
required. See link below.) Beyond the creek, the trail roams under and around
three railroad trestle bridges then heads north into Colossal Cave Mountain
Park. The privately operated park
offers camping, water and tours of subterranean limestone caverns and is a good
turnaround point for a day hike. The passage continues on to Hope Camp at the
border of Saguaro National Park where you can continue north to Utah or hike
three miles west to the nearest car shuttle location at the Loma Alta
trailhead.
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| One of the "three bridges" |
LENGTH: 4.7 miles to Colossal Cave
RATING: easy
ELEVATION: 3098' - 3650'
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| Arizona Trail heading into the Rincon Mountains |
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| Gabe Zimmerman trailhead |
GETTING THERE: Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead:
From Phoenix, go south on I10, take exit 281 in Tucson, go 3
miles southeast, then north on the frontage road (Marsh Station Road) to the
trailhead on the right.
INFO & MAPS: Arizona Trail Association
Colossal Cave Mountain Park: 520-647-7275
CIENEGA CREEK NATURAL PRESERVE: 520-877-6158
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