Name: Romero Canyon Trail
Rating: 4.4

“A fairly exposed trail with beautiful mountain views as you ascend the pass.”

— Niall Murphy

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Dogs are not allowed in the bighorn sheep management area; all of this trail beyond the first mile or so is within that area, so if you'd like to hike with your dog, stay on the lower sections of this trail and follow posted signs.

Need to Know

The trail intersects the creek at several points, and water is available depending on the season. A number of nice spots for camping can also be found very close to the trail, often with stone fire rings; watch for these starting about 0.5 miles upstream of Romero Pools. Watch for patches of poison ivy which are near some of these areas.

Description

Your climb begins with your very first step onto the trailhead. You leave behind the wide sandy path and begin on your singletrack journey through a few saddles and down to Romero Pools. Watch your footing as several sections of trail to this point involve scrambling over fairly steep sections of rock.

After you continue past the pools, you'll gain even more elevation as you weave your way into the canyon and up to Romero Pass. Relatively flat or gently sloping sections alternate with rocky climbs. As you continue to gain elevation, you can see significant changes in the plants and animals around you, from dry scrubby ridges to lush oak and juniper glades near the creek. The last mile of climbing as you approach the saddle is particularly challenging.

This is a wonderful trail with a lot of elevation gain, and the views make it well worth the challenge.

Contacts

Land Manager: USFS - Coronado National Forest Office

Jun 5, 2019: Prescribed burn continues on Safford Ranger District

Jun 3, 2019: Prescribed burning in Gardner Canyon

Jun 2, 2019: Southern Arizona Resource Advisory Committee Call For Nominations

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Check-Ins

Mar 3, 2019

Julian Sanchez

A great hike and also a great camping site! 3mi

Mar 2, 2019

Freddie Sanchez

Hiked out to the pools with my son and father in law on a warm and overcast afternoon. The wet winter and recent snow fed the creek well. We made i… 3.5mi

Apr 14, 2018

Freddie Sanchez

Hiked to the pass and back to old trail camp. setup camp and headed out the next day. 9.8mi

Mar 25, 2018

Eric Jackson

Day three of a through hike, from AZT Section 11 to Romero Canyon Trail. Upper section of Romero Canyon shows recent work, but still a few issues. 5mi — 4h 30m

Mar 21, 2018

Eck Doerry

Went up and a mile or so past the pools. Perfect hike for a casual half day or for the less fit. Lots of private little pools up the canyon for a dip

Apr 2, 2017

KrisAnn Traicoff

Feb 14, 2017

Jerry Rudnick

I've rated this trail one diamond really for people 70+ like myself. Younger hikers might consider it intermediate.

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