4. Also, no dogs on the second part of the trail due to bighorn sheep. To request permission for use email us at lisa@azutopia.com. /* IE6 does not respect left and right together */ HAZ uses cookies . Our first time visiting the pools was in March 2010 and second time in February of [] Continue along the Romero Canyon trail as the trail switchbacks higher and higher. To enter the Catalina State Park costs $7 per vehicle with up to four adults. Take a dip. Directions: From the 1-10 (north of Tucson) take exit 240 east onto Tangerine Road. You can download the trail layer to your GPS, or navigate right off your phone. ML Marshall Gulch Loop 16.ML Meadow Trail 17. When native species die, buffelgrass has more space to grow, and thus, provide more fuel for fires. Its in these washes where we have seen the black and yellow spotted gila monsters, the largest lizards of the desert. // See https://www.blogger.com/go/adspersonalization } } CF Finger Rock Trail 7. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Bring enough water. Visitors entering on foot or bicycle are $3. The views were pretty but the pools were not impressive enough to endure the long, rocky hike. Hiking Romero Pools is a tried and true Tucson classic. Was a little cold to get started. The park is conveniently located just 30 minutes of the big city of Tucson and just 5 minutes from the smaller city of Oro Valley. Never cut switchbacks as this causes major erosion that destroys the trail and the mountain. (LogOut/ From Tucson, follow Speedway Boulevard east. We had to ford the stream at the start of the hike. The trail now starts to gain elevation more aggressively and steadily for the remainder of the hike to the pools. This post may contain affiliate links. Let them know when you are leaving, when you expect to get home, and that you will check in when you are done. I knew there was some serious fault activity in this region at some point in the past. Difficulty: Moderate; Distance: 5.5 miles; Elevation Gain: 1,322 feet; And then eventually, eventually, youll hear running water. I wouldnt have expected a place like this amidst the desert. Trail, improvements Beautiful looking hike. The pools are formed along a stream bed and water flows seasonally. Generator hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Agency Rules & Regulations Back to top Park and Facility Hours The park is open year-round Day Use 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. daily Visitor Center/Park Store 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily Thanksgiving: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. After 0.3 miles, Main Avenue turns into Oracle Road or SR 77. Dont show up underprepared for this one. It takes 10 years for a baby saguaro to reach one inch tall. min-width: 0; We had lunch at some pools and had spectacular views along the way. SunCloud Patrol Polarized Womens Sunglasses. Follow along for practical tips and inspiring advice. The pools are a system of puddles and streams, ranging from relatively still to flowing waterfalls that feed deep swimming holes surrounded by smooth rock. CF Pontatoc Ridge Trail 10. Great hike! if (typeof adsbygoogle.requestNonPersonalizedAds === 'undefined') { The subreddit for Tucson, Arizona; Tucson is a city in Arizona's Sonoran Desert The views along the trail to the Romero Pools will take your breath awayif you have any breath left, that is. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. That being said go for it - its beautiful and worth it. Overtourism can lead to overcrowding, environmental damage, and cultural disruption. Romero Pools offers hikers the chance to cool off on a hot day with a refreshing swim in a gorgeous canyon. There is always something going on (bird tours, music nights) and many trails to travel. You might as well explore a little. Only saw a few people on the way up. He completed his first 14-mile day hike at age 7 in Zion National Park and was backpacking by age 11. We took our boots off and waded across the steadily flowing wash. Once on the other side of the wash, you'll reach a trailhead junction. It does eventually get easier to have a conversation with whomever youre hiking with. On the ascent, hikers are treated to breathtaking views of the Santa Catalina Mountains. If you are camping, never leave your fire unattended, clear a safe area around your flames, and make sure that your fire is completely out before leaving camp. Do not enter any private driveways please! Romero Pools via Romero Canyon Tucson, Arizona 4.8/5 based on 4 reviews Save View all 6 photos Review Directions Add Photo Details Distance 5.52 miles Elevation Gain 1155 ft Route Type Out-and-Back Description Added by Dofo Salazar This is a very beautiful hike that leads to a really nice set of falls and pools. Continue for 13 miles then turn right atCatalina State Park. Id estimate 1.8 of those were pure elevation gains, baby. CF Linda Vista Loop 8. .main-inner .fauxcolumn-left-outer { Is Tucson Mountain Park dog friendly? Romero Pools is a short hike that starts at the Romero Canyon Trailhead in Catalina State Park, northeast of Tucson, Arizona. Jordan is a relatively small country with a deep and rich history and stunning natural beauty. We passed an ancient mortar stone where the Indians would grind mesquite pods into flour. Starting from Catalina State Park, you wind your way up the rocky slopes of the Catalina Mountains for about 3-miles until you reach Romero Pools. First 1.1 miles is easy walking, smooth well-traveled trail to the Montrose pools. 2 Beds. The Romero Pools section is an extremely popular portion of this scenic trail, but there's so much more after the pools! The Canyon Loop trail crosses a wash several times, so seasonal stream flow could impact travel. .main-inner .columns { Vistas, waterfalls, lots of varied terrain. by Paul Riedinger. They are old and slow growing. For instance, if you develop blisters and/or hot spots, you can use your supplies to prevent further damage to your feet and continue moving. This was a hard hike. Thats why the water is there to jump in just in case. Youve paid your seven bucks to get in. Great hike to Romero Pools today. Trail Length: 5.60 miles: Trail Type: Out & Back: Hike Difficulty: Intermediate: Elevation Gain: 1046 feet: Trails/Routes: 2.8-3.5 mi Remember that grass I mentioned earlier, buffelgrass? Our hike started in the Sutherland Wash, a dry waterway filled with wispy mesquite trees that send tap roots down to the water table below. Bear Mountain, Sedona. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. adventures and follow local regulations. This hike begins in the town of Summerhaven in Mount Lemmon, Tuscon AZ. This means that buffelgrass thrives after wildfires; it grows back quickly, its seeds benefit from the fire, and in Arizona, fires also wipe out competitive species, making more room for buffelgrass. Home Home FAQ Contribute Shop. Fromthe highest pointon the Romero Hiking Trail, sounds of the stream raging below precede incredible views over 50 waterfalls and rapids. Also, follow all fire rules while camping and ensure that you know what land managers are allowing at any time. 1,732 Tucson AZ Homes for Sale. ML Butterfly Trail 14. Change). min-width: 0; } body { Crossed it by taking off our shoes (not waterproof). April 2018 is a dry year. Takes about 2 hours there and back. The Nala shoes are great for cold, wet weather but also perform well on the trail. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Stay right here. Type: Out and back Length: 8.2 miles Difficulty: Moderate One of the best hikes near Tucson is the trek from Bear Canyon along the Seven Falls Trail. First, as you traverse the hills on your way towards the mountains, you will notice some of the charismatic plants that everyone envisions of when they think about the Sonoran Desert- like the saguaro. Every view is amazing on this trail, and for any hiker, local or visiting, this should be on your bucketlist. The next couple miles are steep and the rocky trail climbs to the Romero Pools. Once we realize that we are only an observer, we could see the true beauty and diversity of life here. (LogOut/ A scenic hike with lots of rocky areas. The nature there is beautiful! There's also a shuttle that will take you to the top and back for a small fee. There was snow over night but the trail was in Great shape. } "The next 1.7 miles is a steep and rocky climb to Romero Pools. Another Tucson-area hike, Romero Pools is a 5.5-mile adventure through Catalina State Park. Drive north out of Tucson on Oracle Road, which becomes Arizona 77. width: 0; ML Incinerator Ridge Trail 15. For us, it was a bit of a slug fest. When you pause, youll hear the rustling of wildlife among tall, dry grass; calls to each other with buzzes, tweets and chirps. We hiked out wilderness of rocks to marshall gulch. However, finding a reliable and concise guide takes a lot of work. right: 360px; The well worn trail is easy to follow for it's entire length to the Romero Pools. SC Blackett's Ridge Trail 19. Credit: Troy McKaskle via Flickr Be sure to enjoy the views as you climb. Youll look dumb but feel ridiculously smart. Upper section of Romero Canyon shows recent work, but still a few issues. The golden hue comes from the roots of the Mexican Oaktrees which leak color into the stream. Look closer at an old saguaro to see all kinds of cracks and holes that animals live in. Likewise, but more surprisingly, if you park your vehicle in grassy areas, even starting your car could spark a fire- to please be sure to avoid parking in or near grasses. There will be a restroom and a very small shop there. In the past, lightning could light fires in the desert, but the pre-colonial Sonoran Desert was patchy. What we have on our hands, with buffelgrass and other exotic plant species that are spreading rapidly and hurting our native species (e.g. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. 4 in deep at most today. This isnt an easy trail. This part might be a little difficult for beginners, but still worth it once you get to the pools. Even though it had rained pretty heavily a few days before we got there, the Romero Pools were pretty low. Starting from Catalina State Park, you wind your way up the rocky slopes of the Catalina Mountains for about 3-miles until you reach Romero Pools. I fully admit that this hike kicked my butt, and there were several pauses where I found myself asking, Can I do this? All I can say is KEEP.GOING. 4 hrs This rocky trail follows yet another of the many gorgeous canyons climbing into the Catalinas. . Was in and out in four hours. Length: Hike as much as you would like to. CF Ventana Canyon 12. We kept saying that the trails were much rougher than we remembered as we slugged along. 91 votes, 17 comments. Glad I came up early because tons of hikers on my way down. Drive0.71miles on Oracle Road to the entrance toCatalina State Park. The Romero Hiking Trail continues another 4.4 miles, beyond the pools, to Romero Pass (miles not included above) for those who want to hike further. The first part of the trail is pretty easy, but it increases in difficulty after that. When we took this hike, it was after a few days of healthy rains, so the wash crossing was more interesting than usual. Water was flowing great at the end. CF Canyon Loop Trail 6. The first mile is relatively flat and an easy walk which. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 945 Sq Ft. 816 S Langley Ave Unit 204, Tucson, AZ 85710. Don't worry about how busy it seems - most of the people you see are probably only going as far as the dam or picnic areas. Ive never been to Arizona but if I go Ill check out the Catalina Mountains and this hike. It has a slippery chute worn into the sandstone. Login and be the first to review! Trailhead: Catalina State Park Fee: $7/vehicle Attractions: Scenic trail, plunge pools Romero Pools is located in the Catalina State Park near Tucson, Arizona. 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At any time its in these washes where we have seen the black yellow. // see https: //www.blogger.com/go/adspersonalization } } CF Finger Rock trail 7 the Indians would grind pods. Worth it with a refreshing swim in a gorgeous Canyon next time I comment first 14-mile day at!