My 12.3 miles hike on the Romero Canyon Trail at Catalina State Park in Tucson was filled with wildflowers and waterfalls galore!! The trail climbs up an exposed ridge and only drops into the valley at the very end. The hike takes you to a beautiful desert oasis set in a canyon with water that flows most, if not all of the year. Romero Canyon is a popular destination for hikers and mountain bikers. This trail starts at the Romero Canyon Trailhead. Overview Romero Pools is a short hike that starts at the Romero Canyon Trailhead in Catalina State Park, northeast of Tucson, Arizona. Catalina State Park. There is a strong scent of bay laurel in the air. 8. Romero Canyon Romero Canyon is located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and part of the Coronado National Forest. Romero Pass Via Romero Canyon Trail is a 14 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Catalina, Arizona that features a waterfall and is rated as difficult. At the end of the trail you’ll find not only the Romero Pools, but views of Mt. Romero Pools is a full sun hike, even though we ended up in a riparian area. While the former is a shorter loop, boasting a vibrant spring bouquet, the latter is a well-trafficked, 5.5 mile out … Then about 2 miles up, there is a junction with a fire road. There is an old (bad) joke about the trail condition in Tucson being very gneiss. On the ascent, hikers are treated to breathtaking views of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The trail is shady and along a creek bed for the first half. 9.5 km blue singletrack trail. I have completed two trails in Catalina State Park: Romero Ruins and Romero Canyon trail to Romero Pools. Romero Canyon Trail to Romero Pools Why you should hike here: From water to cactus to mountains, you’ll get a taste of everything you need to energize you for … https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/romero-canyon-sutherland-loop After an easy one mile walk, the trail gets steep and rocky for the last 1.8 miles. “Waterfall at Romero Canyon” by lars hammar is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Catalina State Park: great Romero canyon hike - See 782 traveler reviews, 481 candid photos, and great deals for Tucson, AZ, at Tripadvisor. Click here to download a trail map. The creek almost always has plenty of water, making the first half of the hike a tranquil forest hike. A popular hiking trail leads to the Romero Pools, which hold water even during the driest parts of the season. The beginning part of the Romero Canyon trail provides the first leg of a nice, short loop hike that wanders through the foothills of Catalina State Park and avoids much of the crowds. Keep your eyes peeled, as they sometimes show up alongside the trail. Romero Canyon hiking trail in Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Arizona. Resources. Directions: From the 1-10 (north of Tucson) take exit 240 east onto Tangerine Road. Romero Canyon is in the heart of the Pusch Wilderness, where Bighorn Sheep have been reintroduced and are protected. Lemmon, Oro Valley and Tucson. Romero Canyon Trail. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from February until November. Catalina State Park is a popular place here in Tucson, the vast majority come to hike to Romero Pools.