Pima Canyon Trail #62

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Views · Wildlife

The vast majority of hikers go one to three miles up and then turn around. Going farther than three miles gets significantly, more difficult!

Though the stream in Pima Canyon is dry for most of the year, it supports an excellent example of a desert riparian habitat located conveniently close to Tucson.

From the trailhead, the trail ascends a V-shaped notch carved along the south face of Pusch Ridge. Views down the canyon get better as you climb, encompassing the city of Tucson as well as distant mountains and valleys.

The riparian area on the floor of the canyon provides excellent birdwatching for a wide variety of resident and migratory species that make use of this most productive of all desert habitat types. Other desert creatures you may encounter in this area include javelina and jackrabbits, but the real viewing prize of Pima Canyon, and the entire Pusch Ridge area, are the desert bighorn sheep that maintain a surefooted existence here among rocky crags and rugged canyons.

Beyond Pima Spring, the trail becomes steeper and harder to follow as it continues to climb to the upper slopes of Mt. Kimball.

Bighorn sheep, if you're lucky!