The trail continues across the wash, deeper into the Coronado national forest, but these pools are a good turn around point. Such a pity about the fires and worse yet that they are because of humans. Really, people underestimate the desert. Credit: Troy McKaskle via Flickr This part might be a little difficult for beginners, but still worth it once you get to the pools. Edit Sights to See Sutherland Trailhead Montrose Pools Add a Report donnasitesrealtor 1 week, 6 days ago dudic.gary 1 year, 10 months ago Every view is amazing on this trail, and for any hiker, local or visiting, this should be on your bucketlist. ML Incinerator Ridge Trail 15. Romero Canyon is a significant drainage and has the potential for flash flooding, so be cautious and look up the forecast before you go. To request permission for use email us at lisa@azutopia.com. Discover this 8.9-km out-and-back trail near Catalina, Arizona. Be prepared to get wet lots of people on the trails today. Beautiful looking hike. Its not only the changes in altitude, but also where you are on the hillside that creates different life zone. Its 5.6 miles of moderate hiking with broad, scenic views of Pusch Ridge and the Santa Catalinas, ending at pools and flowing waterfalls. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 58 min to complete. But otherwise great trail! Making the final descent, acascade of small waterfalls and shallow poolsbegin to spread out below the trail, while the high peaks ofthe Santa Catalinas peerdown from above. CF Canyon Loop Trail 6. Home Home FAQ Contribute Shop. The views along the trail to the Romero Pools will take your breath awayif you have any breath left, that is. Another Tucson-area hike, Romero Pools is a 5.5-mile adventure through Catalina State Park. Ive never been to Arizona but if I go Ill check out the Catalina Mountains and this hike. Once you reach Summerhaven, drive up Carter Canyon Rd. You then drive to the trailhead parking lot. } Id love to hike there. Nice refreshing hike when theres water. You may think that wildfires are natural to the Sonoran Desert, and in a way, you are right. That being said go for it - its beautiful and worth it. A handkerchief: use it to soak up sweat, pour some water over it and tie it around your neck to cool you down, tie it around an unfortunate injury as a bandagethe possibilities are endless. Romero Canyon Trail. Sign up below for new hiking guides, trip reports, gear reviews, and more. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. The hike along the Romero Canyon Trail to the Romero Pools is a great way to enjoy this area. Up and up you will travel, until you find the trail arching down into one of those narrow, mountain valleys. Nestled in Arizona's Catalina State Park, just north of Tuscon, are the Romero Pools. 72K subscribers in the Tucson community. For example, Mt Graham red squirrels only live on Mt Graham and were thought to be extinct until a new family was discovered fifty years ago. _width: expression(this.parentNode.offsetWidth - Park at the end of the road. Wear ankle hiking boots and bring plenty of water. Keep your spirits up and your hands clean. Started about 2pm. For the non-geologists reading Gneiss ( /nas/) is a common distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rock. Its in these washes where we have seen the black and yellow spotted gila monsters, the largest lizards of the desert. It's true it's hard but it's a beautiful challenge. Today, however, things are different. Your email address will not be published. .main-inner .fauxcolumn-left-outer { If its the only option, of course, go for it! Also, thanks to the Good Samaritans who gave my wife some items to hold her shoes together when they both broke about 2 miles in. width: auto; Breathtaking vistas in the Romero Pass area give hikers unforgettable views of Pusch Ridge. They need the saguaros just like the saguaro needs them to distribute their fruit. 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. For us, it was a bit of a slug fest. Here, you will find that the plants become more green, more lush. We kept saying that the trails were much rougher than we remembered as we slugged along. min-width: 0; Login and be the first to review! You will also find cliffs of . Catalina State Park: Return visit after many yeard - See 809 traveler reviews, 543 candid photos, and great deals for Tucson, AZ, at Tripadvisor. They need their host plant when they are young, which they eventually kill as they grow. Crossed it by taking off our shoes (not waterproof). 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. The water was deep enough to cut off the trail right at the start. Daylight and weather are also key- do not hike during monsoons and avoid hiking this trail at night. I lived in AZ for over 20 years but didnt get down to the Tucson area much. Even though it had rained pretty heavily a few days before we got there, the Romero Pools were pretty low. It also takes the perfect combination of host plants and weather for them to sprout in the first place. About this time, they are taking in enough water to have choked out their host plant. This is the location of the Romero Pools and the turn around point for this hike. "The next 1.7 miles is a steep and rocky climb to Romero Pools. Creek crossing in 1st 50 yards. There is just a trickle. Devin exploring Romero Pools by headlamp. Bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen, hat/glasses as there is very little shade on this moderately strenuous trail. What we have on our hands, with buffelgrass and other exotic plant species that are spreading rapidly and hurting our native species (e.g. It's one of the few Tucson hikes with water year-round; and there are plenty of trees that provide greenery in spring/summer and pretty foliage through the fall (and most of the winter). In each of these zones, an entirely new set of plants animals live. During the monsoon months, heavy rainfall can fall on isolated portions of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Saguaros are about 70 years old when they reach the height of a tall man and start blooming. These invasive plants cover ground previously open, allowing fires to spread further, faster, and hotter. Most of the mountain-dwelling animals just cant cross the empty deserts so they have been isolated for the last 10,000 years since the shallow Arizona seas subsided. } This article covers the 15. The well worn trail is easy to follow for it's entire length to the Romero Pools. Fueled by breakfast burritos from El Gero Canelo, Rob and I headed out on a beautiful 70-degree morning for Catalina State Park. When native species die, buffelgrass has more space to grow, and thus, provide more fuel for fires. The Romero Pools Trail is an absolutely beautiful and rewarding hike in Catalina State Park, Tucson. A must do hike if you are visiting. Do not enter any private driveways please! The hike follows the north side of Romero Canyon offering great canyon views, views of the Catalinas, and a great mixture of switchbacks, rocks and level hiking all within one hike. Great trail that climbs up high to a series of culls before dropping you down into a series of pools Finally, please help us find solutions to climate change. A night hike to Romero Pools - sunset, centipede, sounds of water, red spotted toad, the pools by headlamp, stars, great company - 5.9 miles, +/- 1300 of elevation gain/loss. This fire destroyed many of the landscapes that we locals have loved and enjoyed for decades, and this means that our familiar trails are no longer familiar. } 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. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 58 min to complete. Great hike to Romero Pools today. If you explore different places, you will help us mitigate overtourism here, and further protect our beautiful state. Although more challenging than the previous two hikes -- it's virtually all uphill -- the reward is sweet enough that you'll quickly forget about the difficulty. The hiking trail is an easy one and is quite scenic complete with pretty yellow wildflowers. After a while, I realized that I just liked watching the diversity of life and land. 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. There are few hikes in the country with this level of biodiversity that also offer a glimpse of the pernicious and hidden Sonoran landscape. Overtourism can lead to overcrowding, environmental damage, and cultural disruption. jeannettefalk@aol.com 1 month, 2 weeks ago. After 0.3 miles, turn left on Main Avenue. Well maintained trail. This 13-day luxury Jordan itinerary takes you from the green hills of the north, Berry Creek Falls Loop at Big Basin Redwoods State Park- A Hiking Guide. Continue along the Romero Canyon trail as the trail switchbacks higher and higher. Their prickly thorns look like tough and impregnable but they really are following a narrow life path of conditions that give the life. Invasive fountain grass in the Catalinas (c) ABR 2019, Bathroom Facilities: Yes, at the trailhead, Entrance Fee: $7.00 per vehicle (4 people) via Catalina State Park. Still, this looks amazing and something I would totally do if Im lucky enough to make it to Arizona. Trail then starts to climb and get more challenging. Join me now for this guide of the Romero Pools Trail- if you are visiting Tucson post-2020, this is a must-add for any hikers bucketlist. Up from the wash is an alluvial plain of slowly shifting soil eroding from the mountains above. don 8 months, 2 weeks ago. Plenty of water in the pools. One of the most accessible major peaks in the Catalinas. No problem crossing the creek in hiking boots. Romero Canyon Trail to Romero Pools. Hikers, cyclists and equestrians alike share and enjoy the trail. He completed his first 14-mile day hike at age 7 in Zion National Park and was backpacking by age 11. We paid $7 for a day pass (check the calendar to time your visit with an event and get the most bang for your buck) and followed the road to the trail head. We hiked out wilderness of rocks to marshall gulch. I know I did the first 2 times I went here. Please explore responsibly! Takes about 2 hours there and back. After 1.7 miles from the Montrose pools, the trail will drop into a canyon and cross the wash again. There are lots of spots to sit and watch the more adventurous flip and jump into the water.