For the start of our trip on Day 1 we will hike Cochise Stronghold – the area where the Apache Cochise eluded capture for 10 years. (4 miles). On Day 2, we’ll visit Chiricahua National Monument. Set aside by Congress in 1924, Chiricahua is the site of a massive volcanic eruption 27 million years ago that formed a thick layer of volcanic ash and pumice that has since eroded into many remarkable and varied rock formations. During our visit to Chiricahua, we will hike a patchwork of park trails commonly known as the Heart of Rocks Loop that passes many of these formations such as Balanced Rock, Rhyolite Canyon, and Echo Park (9 miles).
The Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson are our destination on Day 3, specifically the Kent and Bog Springs loop. This hike passes a series of springs that create an unusually lush riparian area with large numbers of birds and wildlife and large Arizona sycamore and walnut trees (5 miles), We transfer to Tucson for our last 3 overnights, and explore the Saguaro National Park. On Day 4, we go to the west section of the park and hike the tallest peak in the park – Wasson Peak (9 miles). We move to the east section on Day 5 we hike a collection of trails starting at the Wildhorse trailhead. We travel through the Saguaro forest in the Rincon Mountains with views of the city and entire Green Valley below (6.5 miles).
We’ll head north to the Santa Catalinas the morning of Day 6, where we will hike the Blackett Ridge East Trail, a vista-packed traverse of the ridge between Sabino and Bear Canyons (5 miles). We’ll stop for lunch then make our way back to the Tucson airport and the close of our Chiricahua and The Sonoran Desert Hiking Tour.
