What a glorious way to enjoy a spring day in the Sonoran desert…read more I hiked to Ernie's falls which was not flowing but had some trickling swimming holes and to Bridal Wreath falls which was flowing slightly. The views all around were glorious and the trail was well maintained. I only saw a few other people out there. Since I got there right around noon there were a few parking spots available. Such an easy trail to access, right off speedway. The sunset was incredible!

ERNIE FALLS Take…read moreSpeedway east til it ends and you'll find a conglomerate of trails at the Douglas Spring trailhead that venture all around the area, up Mica mountain and towards Tanque Verde Falls. It's separate of Tanque verde falls area, just a quick note to that. Amongst several trails is this one that leads to Ernie Falls (seen on slide 10) which is currently a small trickle of water from recent rains. While there were smaller pools hiking in, then larger less stagnant ones at the fall area, my thought on this is that it's typically dry without consistent rain fall or snow melt. The hike itself is 6+ miles total, an in and out trail and fairly easy uphill hike inward getting to 1220ft in elevation. Coming back out is, as you can imagine, is downhill with leveling stretches. This is definitely family friendly. I got the experience of passing by several families that had quite young kids and even elderly folk. I would say this area is high traffic with limited parking at the trail head and more along the road. This is an exposed hike with no coverage, bring nourishment like power / energy providing snacks and water. Every week I get out and explore the trails, at least twice a week. For years I have been loving exploring new areas and this one is new to me so I'll be finding myself out here more. Hope to see you on the trails enjoying the act of presence and being.

Great trail but not a beginners trail. Steep grades and not well maintained - we got sidelined a…read morecouple times. Others that we talked with had the same issues. One member in our party fell due to loose rocks. (Not serious) It's not a long hike, maybe about a mile. The reward on this hike is the pretty falls that you can relax at. Also, it's dog friendly so bring Fido.

Great hike in which dogs were allowed. He loved jumping on the rocks. We went in June and there…read morewere pools of water but I wouldn't get in them or allow my dog to drink from them.

I have been wanting to do this hike and finally got to do it today! It was low 50s when we started…read morejust before 7:00 am. Starting from the parking lot at Sabino Canyon we had plenty of sun until the Phoneline Trail split off into Blackett's Ridge. We then had some shade until we got further up the mountain. The trail is rocky with a lot of switchbacks. I would definitely recommend good hiking shoes! The trail is pretty hard since it is so steep, but it is rewarding. Getting to the top is an accomplishment the views are beautiful! If you are afraid of heights stop at the "end of trail sign" but if you are feeling good, taking a few more steps will give you an even greater appreciation of the "ridge" in Blackett's Ridge. Just be sure to take caution! I would definitely recommend this hike and I would 100% do it again!

I had heard about Blackett's Ridge all the time while hiking in Sabino to Seven Falls, but never…read moregave it much thought until checking it out a couple months ago. The initial stage is fairly level and shouldn't tire you out; however, once you've passed that part, it's a steady set of inclined switchbacks for what seems like a good while. Upon getting to the top, you begin to realize why it was worth the ascent--a fantastic view of the Tucson valley and the surrounding mountains! Be sure to bring plenty of water (esp in summertime) to stay hydrated as there are no fountains to my knowledge beyond the parking lot/visitor center. Also, being that this is inside Sabino, be aware the charge to enter is $5, and on busy weekends there's no guarantee you will quickly find a parking spot (you sometimes have to drive around until you either see a car pulling out or see people walking toward the lot. Have fun and safe travels!

A good trail for most older children and adults. Steep at first but then it gets easier.read more

nice open park with lots of parking. there are plenty of picnic table with lots of shade…read moreavailable. Several paved and unpaved trails available to walk around the pond and park. There are a few ducks. There are restroom facilities available.

This place was absolutely amazing the peacefulness of watching the koi , turtles, ducks and so much…read morestuff to learn

If you enjoy a path less traveled, Agua Caliente Hill is for you. With a trailhead at about 2,900…read morefeet, you'll climb to 5,377 feet over 4.5 miles with amazing views of the Santa Catalinas, the Rincons, the Santa Ritas, the Galiuros and Tucson far below. From the parking lot, you'll pass through a gate and ascend the first ridge via some steep steps and a rocky trail. The trail hugs the ridge line before descending to Cat Track Tank, a small reservoir. Leaving Cat Track, you'll climb up another ridge to the junction with Forest Road 4445. The high point in sight is aptly named False Hope Hill since the trail goes around the base of False Hope and leads you to a grassy plateau with expansive views. In the last half-mile, sections of the trail reach 25% grade, and you may wonder why you took this trek. It's all worth it when you reach the top. After you've had a snack, use the same trail to make your way back to the parking lot. Hiking boots, hiking poles, and 3-4 liters of water are a must if you plan to summit the trail. It took us 6 hours round-trip on a relatively cool winter day.

I came here on a Thursday morning, arriving close to 9AM. The parking lot was empty aside from one…read moreother car, and the hike was alright. I did about half of it since it was super windy, and the views were alright, no shade. The trail went up and down periodically but it wasn't too bad.

Get new kind and happy camp hosts! We drove 2 1/2 hours. To be yelled at called stupid and have a 5…read moregl bucket water thrown on our fire which hit a member of group who is not physically well! We checked before we left home and fires were fine. He did it to other campers as well. I come from a fire fighting family! Well aware of the danger. The host at the entrance who took our money was his wife she yelled at us all . Including the other 6 campers who were there to complain, said we were all stupid and that she quit. Mind you not one person was being rude or yelling. I deal with people daily. I would never treat any one so harshly. I feel that we were assaulted!

Starting off, I'm going to recognize 'Monica E' as an incredible resource for nearly everything as…read morea great breakdown on the intricate details of Rose Canyon Lake, so I won't capitulate on the details she provides; look up her review! There is one error I'll note with her review which is minor but important; you ARE able to reserve locations at Rose Canyon Lake. It's on numerous websites and even by calling, you can. No worries though, small detail but again, her review is amazingly full of all details that I found across three different websites and she put together for you! On a more simpler context I'll say this about Rose Canyon Lake, It's super tiny, very hilly (which I prefer!) and unfortunately the campsites are not 'near' the water. However with 70 some sites, you'll often hear someone near you because the trees deaden so much surrounding noise, you'll hear your neighbor; warning! In fact, our neighbors had to be reported on our visit in May because they were just obnoxious and atrocious with incredibly foul language - throughout the day and well past the quiet hours. Let's be honest, you come to the forest for some peace and quiet. Had we known there was a Ranger on duty throughout the night, we could've communicated that but we learned this the next day. RCL is small, beautiful with surrounding hiking and about 30 degrees cooler than Tucson. Win. Never saw the little 'Lake Store' open during our May visit but no worries nonetheless. Cell phone signal is absent in all the campsites unless you climb the hills around the lake. For at least the four phones with my group, that was the norm. You can use a canoe, ONLY if you pay extra for this. Not sure what good that is but the extra pay keeps you and other out of the water I suppose? There are also a generous amount of restroom spots throughout and some are unisex ones, most, with water spigots. You never have to go to far for a potty break so that made my daughters feel more comfortable. The wildlife surrounding is filled with humorous crows and tons and I mean TONS of squirrels of different species. The pine smell and the beautiful temps in May are a win... One final note, they make it much safer here by implanting 'bear proof' trash and campsite specific lock boxes to store all your food safely out of reach of Bears at night. This no doubt dramatically reduces interfaces thus, making it safer for continuous use as a campsite. The campsite Rangers where attentive and polite and overall, we highly recommend this location albeit secluded, no cell service and a bit on top of your neighbors. No real negatives per se except that the lake is REALLY tiny but is a reprieve nonetheless! It's a nice break from the heat of Tucson and the fresh pine smell is a win!