Visiting the Sabino Canyon Recreational area today with our good friends from Illinois. This incredible mountain canyon has a paved road that a shuttle drives 21 miles through the canyon. There are nine stops with various side hiking trails. The snow melt fed Sabino Creek bubbles and flows in and out, over and through on either side of the trail. The Catalina Mountain views are spectacular. The shuttle costs $8 for adults and you can get off and on at any of the 9 stops. Do plan on visiting this canyon, east of Tucson if you ever visit southern Arizona.
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Thimble Rock, the highest peak is visible from downtown Tucson.
Desert saguaro and other cactus grow on the canyon sides. |
The water in this pool was 60 degrees. We walked from Stop 9 downward to Stop 8 and got these great shots of the black and white striped rocks called Gneiss metamorphic rocks. It looks like someone took black paint and streaked the white rocks. But the black color comes from mineral grains that were heated under tremendous pressure. They are also called Bandit Rocks. Yes, there are people who have walked down through the canyon from Stop 9 to get a close up view and to go swimming. The trees and plants along the river are very green.
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This is out of sequence. We are now on the trail next to the striped rocks you saw from above. The water flows through the break in the rocks to make this gentle water fall.
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Looking from above again
We are now at Stop 8 and are walking over the exposed rocky trail down to the water.
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Clear water
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It is hard to imagine where all this water comes from. The mountains look desert like and very dry.
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