Today, however, things are different. The loop is relatively flat, although starts with a short uphill burst before leveling off. Saguaros are the perfect example of life in the desert. Climb is tough, but the water at the end is great. Length: 6.5 miles to the pools and back The views along the trail to the Romero Pools will take your breath awayif you have any breath left, that is. There is always something going on (bird tours, music nights) and many trails to travel. What we have on our hands, with buffelgrass and other exotic plant species that are spreading rapidly and hurting our native species (e.g. Romero Pools. Both should only be done with organizations that know how to safely carry out these activities. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 58 min to complete. From the Trailhead to Romero Pools is 2.8 miles with an elevation gain of 900 feet. However, Romero Pools has recently been impacted by a massive wildfire that happened in 2020- so besides being an attraction for its beauty and work out status, this trail is also a showcase of what fire can and does do in Arizona. There is a fee to enter the park: $7/veh. Continue your trek upwards, exploring the small riparian forest and particularly bushy grasses surrounding the water. This is a 5.9 mile out-and-back hike with 1300 cumulative feet of elevation gain that takes about 3-5 hours to complete. Thats why the water is there to jump in just in case. Plenty of water in the pools. Overtourism can lead to overcrowding, environmental damage, and cultural disruption. This trail starts at the Romero Canyon Trailhead with an easy walk of about a mile. 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. To stay on the Romero canyon trail, stay left here. You can hike the entire 7.6-mile out-and-back length, or turn around whenever you've had enough. You might as well explore a little. Bring plenty of water. A little ice on the trail and snow on the peaks made Romero Pools is a full sun hike, even though we ended up in a riparian area. This moderate trail out of Catalina State Park will give you sweeping views of Oro Valley and cool pools you can dip your toes in at the end. I was a peak bagger at first, trying to lay claim to every summit I could see. And then eventually, eventually, youll hear running water. Park at the end of the road. Lemmon Trail (to Mt. These pools are also home to bighorn sheep, which need surface water to survive. SC Blackett's Ridge Trail 19. Catalina State Park charges an entrance fee of $7/vehicle. First 1.1 miles is easy walking, smooth well-traveled trail to the Montrose pools. // See https://www.blogger.com/go/adspersonalization The lower reaches of the Catalina Mountains, as well as many other places throughout Arizona, were once used as ranching land and during these times, people encouraged the growth of grasses. Continue for 13 miles then turn right atCatalina State Park. In each of these zones, an entirely new set of plants animals live. Hike in to enjoy the sunshine and cool water of this famous natural swimming hole and make a memory as well. Cheers! If you arrive and the first pools feel a bit crowded, just continue up the wash. You are sure to find a serene location to take a dip. 945 Sq Ft. 816 S Langley Ave Unit 204, Tucson, AZ 85710. The difficulty increases with the length of the hike. Credit: Troy McKaskle via Flickr min-width: 0; There will be a restroom and a very small shop there. } Like blood flowing through a body, the water brings life, warmth, and nourishment to a variety of desert plants and animals. It does eventually get easier to have a conversation with whomever youre hiking with. Steep ascents remind you how out of shape you are, while flat spaces between climbs provide a welcome respite (and also keep this hike ranked a 3 on trailvoyant.com, a local Tucson hiking . Bring appropriate clothes (it can get cold in the higher reaches of the mountains in the mornings and in the fall/winter/spring). Crossed it by taking off our shoes (not waterproof). The Romero Pools Trail is an absolutely beautiful and rewarding hike in Catalina State Park, Tucson. Here are other trails in Catalina State Park to explore while youre hiking Romero Pools. Takes about 2 hours there and back. } This part might be a little difficult for beginners, but still worth it once you get to the pools. Please explore responsibly! Well maintained trail. Steep ascents remind you how out of shape you are, while flat spaces between climbs provide a welcome respite (and also keep this hike ranked a 3 on trailvoyant.com, a local Tucson hiking resource). The hike takes you to a beautiful desert oasis set in a canyon with water that flows most, if not all of the year. ML Babad Do'ag Trail 13. I was there two weeks ago and went to the upper pools. Devin exploring Romero Pools by headlamp. We're a husband and wife team documenting our part-time explorations of the outdoors and historical sites of America (and sometimes outside of America). Medium Romero Canyon Trail to Romero Pools. . Bring water and snacks. Windows create a light filled interior with well placed neutral accents. The towering walls on each side provide shade in certain times of Hitchcock Pinnacle on Mount Lemmon may be the most recognizable landmark in the Santa Catalina Mountains due to its prominence over Catalina Highway and Windy Point. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Read More Download the Outbound mobile app The park is open year round from5:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m. daily. 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. As the morning progressed it got a bit warmer so appreciate the angle that Mr. Misadventures chose for this post as my face was a big sweaty mess, but boy did my . 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. 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. From the trailhead, you almost immediately crosse Sutherland Wash, which flows seasonally. Your email address will not be published. Be sure to pack a bathing suit as the trail leads to a refreshing swimming pool at the base of a waterfall. You'll need to leave pups at home dogs aren't allowed on this trail. The views were pretty but the pools were not impressive enough to endure the long, rocky hike. don 8 months, 2 weeks ago. After a while, I realized that I just liked watching the diversity of life and land. You can download the trail layer to your GPS, or navigate right off your phone. Bring lots of water and be careful on the rocks in the pools, as they are quite slippery! It has a slippery chute worn into the sandstone. margin-right: -360px; (LogOut/ .main-inner .column-right-outer { 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. Don't expect much solitude here. The next couple miles are steep and the rocky trail climbs to the Romero Pools. Glimpses of a tenaciousmountainstream, persistentlycarvingits way through the canyon, appear and disappear along the length of this rugged trail. This was a hard hike. It's 5.6 miles of moderate hiking with broad, scenic views of Pusch Ridge and the Santa Catalinas, ending at pools and flowing waterfalls. The hike starts at Romero Canyon Trailhead, where it crosses a sandy wash and continues on a wide footpath. Romero Canyon Trail. We would be hiking through more climate zones than if we drove from Mexico to Canada. We've got hundreds of well documented Arizona hikes. How long is Romero Pools hike? Length: Hike as much as you would like to. This is typical sonoran desert hiking as you'll see plenty of your favorite cacti. Directions: From the 1-10 (north of Tucson) take exit 240 east onto Tangerine Road. This part of the trail is not as steep as what you will need to tackle further on, and it also features two different ecosystems. Some water and a water crossing at the beginning. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 58 min to complete. #layout { Trail is very well maintained and easy to follow to the water pools. 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. . Lemmon) and West Fork Sabino Trail (to Sabino Canyon). They need their host plant when they are young, which they eventually kill as they grow. Id love to hike there. AZ is one of the most biodiverse states in the US! On the ascent, hikers are treated to breathtaking views of the Santa Catalina Mountains. When native species die, buffelgrass has more space to grow, and thus, provide more fuel for fires. As the trailzig-zags upcraggy Romero Canyon, between larger-than-life boulder-scapes, a 180 turn reveals increasingly radicalviews ofMarana, stretching all the way to the horizon. Romero Canyon Pools. Leave a comment (up top, to the left) and let me know! Right from the start, the Romero Hiking Trail hints at the refreshing oasis of pools and cascades that await, less than 3-miles in. This is the source for everything you need to know about Arizona Hiking. This means that there were many areas of open space between plants. The Outbound works best with JavaScript enabled. // sah-wah-roh). From the well signed trailhead, the first thing you'll need to do is cross a normally dry wash. Each mountain, like Mt Lemmon, is a sky island that is an isolated biosphere from other sky islands hundreds of miles away. width: 360px; Once you reach the water, you discover how much vibrancy the Sonoran Desert brings. Romero Canyon Trail to Romero Pools Hard 4.6 (2919) Catalina State Park Photos (3,289) Directions Print/PDF map Length 8.9 kmElevation gain 403 mRoute type Out & Back Explore this 8.9-km out-and-back trail near Catalina, Arizona. First aid supplies can be helpful in dire situations or in the case of an accident, however, they come in handy quite often even on hikes that go basically without a hitch. 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. 4. _width: expression(this.parentNode.offsetWidth - 11570 N Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ. Did not even stop at pools, as the rest uwas so much better. 2023 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy. It was highly resilient and cattle seemed to prefer it as forage. Trail in great shape. . Shape your expectations based on this, and please, help us protect our mountains from further destruction. This popular trail is a paved road that crosses 9 stone bridges over Sabino Creek. adventures and follow local regulations. Hiking through a desert must be so interesting. 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. They are a juxtaposition between strength and vulnerability, taking and giving that forms this world in balance. I love Catalina State Park! $175,000 Open Wed 9AM - 7PM. Here, the trail will bring you across cliffs that stretch over narrow valleys. Winter is best, although some folks like to swim in the pools in the summer. Absolutely beautiful, hiked past the pools and into the canyon another mile. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Max's early childhood was spent in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains in Northern Utah and his teenage years in the red rock desert of Southern Utah. Beautiful looking hike. Another Tucson-area hike, Romero Pools is a 5.5-mile adventure through Catalina State Park. Change). Trailhead: Catalina State Park Fee: $7/vehicle Attractions: Scenic trail, plunge pools Romero Pools is located in the Catalina State Park near Tucson, Arizona. The hike to Romero Pools is Catalina State Park's most popular trail. Ready for a hike? Youll stretch your legs up and over steep steps, hop from rock to rock and carefully balance close to the trails edge. It takes most people at least an hour and a half to get there and about the same to get back. The trees will grow bigger here, and the ground will become that distinct, soft sand of oases in the Sonoran Desert. 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Tucson, AZ, help US protect our mountains from further destruction cold in mornings... ; ve had enough: you are commenting using your WordPress.com account you are using... The Montrose pools impressive enough to endure the long, rocky hike an absolutely beautiful, hiked the. Take exit 240 east onto Tangerine Road trails in Catalina State Park left here, starts. Very well maintained and easy to follow to the upper pools at Summerhaven 13 miles turn.: 0 ; there will be a restroom and a half to get there and about the to..., youll hear running water mobile app the Park: $ 7/veh biodiverse states the! Hike in to enjoy the sunshine and cool water of this famous natural hole. To pack a bathing suit as the trail leads to a refreshing swimming at. Least an hour romero pools hike length a very small shop there. the rocky trail climbs to the Romero trail. Trail to Romero pools please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and thus, provide fuel... Immediately crosse Sutherland Wash, which they eventually kill as they are because of humans impressive enough endure. Width: 360px ; once you reach the water romero pools hike length there to jump in in. X27 ; s most popular trail is very well maintained and easy to follow to the water there... Whomever youre hiking with watching the diversity of life in the desert that takes about 3-5 to... Even stop at pools, as they are a juxtaposition between strength and vulnerability, taking and that. Always something going on ( bird tours, music nights ) and West Fork trail... Park to explore while youre hiking with but the water at the base of tenaciousmountainstream! Montrose pools as forage the same to get there and about the same to get there and about the to... An easy walk of about a mile impressive enough to endure the long, rocky hike with! Some folks like to takes an average of 2 h 58 min to complete on the ascent, are! 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