| About Coronado National Forest |
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| Esperero Trail |
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Ending Elevation:
7,400 Feet
USGS Maps:
Sabino Canyon, Mt. Lemmon
Usage:
Moderate
Length:
10.1 Miles
Elevation Gain:
4,700 Feet
Difficulty:
More Difficult
Beginning Elevation:
2,700 Feet
Trail Number:
25
Reservation:
No
Season:
Fall - Spring
From Tucson, From Tanque Verde Road turn north on Sabino Canyon Road and follow it 4 miles to the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Visitor Center. From the Visitor Center you can either follow the paved road or a foot trail to the Cactus Picnic Area and the Esperero Canyon Trailhead.
Location Information
There are a number of reasons to visit this trail. The route starts out with several miles of hard climbing as it leads to The Window , a 15 by 25 foot hole in a finlike ridge that extends out from Window Peak on Pusch Ridge. For those who get all the way to the top, this notable creation of gravity and frost frames an unforgettable view of Tucson and the mountains and valleys beyond. For those who choose to stop at points of interest which can be reached with less effort, there are plenty of rewards as well. Esperero Canyon Trail starts at the Cactus Picnic Area in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area or just opposite Sabino Canyon Shuttle Stop #1, where Rattlesnake Canyon joins Sabino Canyon. If you come on any except the hottest days of summer, you'll be surprised at the amount of wildlife there is to see in the desert. From its starting point, the trail passes through stands of outrageously shaped saguaro cactus as it climbs up and over a low ridge into Bird Canyon. This serves as a warm-up for the lung-busting scramble up a particularly rocky section of the trail that takes you up and over a second ridge and finally drops you into Esperero Canyon. The trail then dodges its way upcanyon into Geronimo Meadow, crossing the creek on several occasions. Water can be found along this stretch during the wettest times of the year and sometimes at Mormon Springs, but don't count on it! Above Geronimo Meadow, the trail climbs steeply up and out of the canyon to the ridge near Window Peak, and finally to the Window itself. Take care when you get there. There is a sheer drop of over a hundred feet just outside that window. Nine miles of the trail are in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. Motorized and mechanical vehicles and equipment, including mountain bikes, are not permitted in Wilderness.
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