Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Reviews

This is a beautiful area! However we went here for the 7 waterfalls not knowing this is a seasonal type event.
The waterfall is only there during the rain season. The scenic drive, sunsets and star gazing are gorgeous

What a busy place! Plan ahead so you know what hikes you want to do; get there early so that you can get the trolley you want. I like the fact that they don't allow cars beyond the parking lot. There's a trolley ride up and down; it takes about 30 minutes each way, and it stops so people can hop on or off. Everyone gets headsets; ours didn't work! Anyway, it's a lovely place.

We spent an afternoon exploring this area. We arrived to get the last parking space around noon. We had reserved our shuttle tickets a few days ahead. Several people were disappointed because they could not get on the tram. The staff at the visitors center was helpful as we planned our day. The tram takes an hour to do the round trip. If you get off at a stop do not assume you will be able to get a seat on another one. The audio presentation was interesting and well done. The driver was not very helpful answering questions and was a bit harsh. We got off at Stop 1 after going all the way to the top and almost all the way back. We got off to hike the Creek Trail. You need water and a hat and good shoes. Poles might have helped. We had a map but trails were not well marked. It was frustrating to often find ourselves off trail and having to backtrack. Beautiful area and worth the cost of admission and the tram.

We visited the canyon in the mid morning. In April, it was cool and pleasant - bring a hat and maybe a jacket. As photographers know, the light is best in the morning and evening. The same is true here. The shadows on the mountains pop in the early morning light.

When we were there. the parking lot was already full. Being a federal facility, we could use our Senior Pass. There are also vending machines to get a day pass for $8. The visitor center is impressive with stone and natural materials. There is a little shop and the park staff could answer all our questions. They gave us good advice about the trails that would suit our energy level.

There is also a third party shuttle service that leaves every half hour. For $15 you can board a huge covered "golf cart" that traverses the length of the canyon on a 45 minute tour.

We started on one trail and then veered off to avoid groups that were ahead of us. I think all the trails must be good. On the Rattle Snake trail, we did see a snake, several birds and a wonderful array of cacti and wild flowers on a well groomed gravel trail. We had to keep going so we branched off on another trial and before we knew it we had our 10,000 steps in. We are staying in the area so will plan to return so see more of this wonderful place.

Multiple hikes to choose from, ranging from easy to very difficult. Tram rides also available. Part of National Park Service so you can use National Parks pass if you have one. The dam and the washes will depend on the local rainfall, so keep that in mind.

Best recommendation we received for our trip to Tucson! We bought tram tickets on line for the 10AM tram (you choose your time - they do fill up) and downloaded them on our phone. The main parking lot fills quickly but there is overflow available (10-15 minute easy hike to tram stop). Highly recommend you arrive early to get a parking space (we got an email that said our date was sold out and to plan to arrive 30 minutes early - still we’re in overflow and that was filling too).

There is a park fee but if you have the America the Beautiful pass this park is part of Coronado National Forest and is included. The tram is an additional fee (buy your tickets in advance) and very worth it! We caught the tram at stop 0 and rode to the top (stop 9). There is an audio tour along with the ride which is on Spanish or English and is very informative, especially if you choose to hike back down (around 3.7 miles).

This area is very runner, jogger and hiker friendly - no dogs allowed, and we saw many people getting their morning workout in. The paved “trail” (also where the tram runs) is very kid friendly and easy to hike. We explored some of the side trails and water pools (a must!) and found our hike was closer to 4.5 miles when we got the visitor center at the bottom. Our favorite views and the most calming area was the pools near stop 8… kids were wading and people were just sitting. It was so peaceful! There are other “beach” areas depending on the water levels and lots of places to wade in and enjoy the cool creek.

There are picnic spots, restrooms and benches to sit along the way and at most every tram stop. There is a gift shop and information at the Visitor center as well as a nature trail. This was by far one of our favorite hikes and visits in the Tucson area!

Close to Tucson and on our trip to Tombstone, we found a great scenic park. The 4 mile tram ride up the Sabino canyon over multiple water crossings was beautiful, and the weather was perfect. It would have been quite warm to do the hike in the afternoon. We saw some wonderful scenery and were narrated on the ride up. We spent an hour or so enjoying the perfect afternoon. Our National Park pass saved us the $8 parking, but not the $15 tram ride.

We love the dramatic desert landscapes, towering saguaro cacti, and the sound of water trickling through the canyon. We love that we could go on a hiker or simply enjoy a scenic tram ride. I opted for a hike along the creek and was blown away by the diverse wildlife – it's like stepping into a hidden oasis in the desert.

One of the highlights of my visit was panning for garnet stones. It’s an activity I hadn't tried before, but the experience was so rewarding! It's easy to lose track of time as you sift through the sandy streambed, hoping to uncover those tiny, shimmering red treasures. Finding our first garnets was such a thrill! The process is simple and family-friendly, so it’s perfect for kids or anyone wanting to try something unique and fun.

The staff and volunteers were incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, offering tips on how to pan successfully and explaining the geological history of the area. It gave the activity a deeper meaning and made me appreciate the natural beauty and history of Sabino Canyon even more.

If you're visiting Tucson or live nearby, this is a fantastic way to spend the day. Make sure to pack plenty of water, sunscreen, and a good pair of hiking shoes.

Our group excursion included a tram ride to the top of the canyon and back. No stops other than at the end of the canyon. This was likely predetermined by our excursion planners. We were able to walk around for a few minutes at the top and see the surrounding views. Beautiful scenery and informative audio tour. Walkers were out in abundance!

A desert paradise for both visitors and locals. In the early morning it’s popular for walkers and cyclist going up the 4 mile road. Beginning at 9 AM a tram takes you up to the end of the road. There are plenty of hiking trails with great views and a bit of climbing as well as trails along the river. Early morning is also good for birding.

We two seniors enjoyed a 4-mile hike from the visitor’s center out to the first shuttle stop and back on a series of good, easy trails. Saguaro cactus everywhere. Beautiful!

Wow! Take the Canyon Crawler tram. It goes to the “top” without stopping, but then you can get off for a few minutes or stay at that stop for as long as you’d like and pick up another tram to go down. You can get off at other stops along the way down. think there are nine all together.
We were at the top stop for the partial eclipse—super fun.
Note: There is an $8 fee to park but our National Park pass was honored.

Sabino Canyon is a wonderful, but very popular, natural area near Tucson. There is an entrance fee, but a National Parks Pass gets you in for free. At the base there is a giftshop, info area and restrooms. There are lots of varied hiking trails and a tram that can just provide a leisurely tour of the area or take you closer to some of the trails. The stream through the canyon can be bone dry or a raging torrent blocking the roads after a strong rain. At busy times the parking lot can be full but there is an overflow lot just up the road.

Absolutely Lovely! With Water in the canyon and The Flowers Blooming, rocks and critters, this was GR8! If you don’t or can’t walk much, (or even if you can,)the shuttle to the top was well worth the $15. Lovely and beautiful. Don’t miss this. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

The tram ride through the canyon was delightful! We'd go again in a heartbeat! The many bridges with flowing water under them, people frolicking in the streams and massive colorful boulders added to the joy of the day.

Disappointing. Very poor signage, virtually none on the trails and what there are does not coordinate with the brochure provided. Ranger provided inaccurate info as to the length of our trail. No shade shelters are available.
No cars are allowed on the loop, the choice is to hike the poorly marked trails or purchase a seperate ticket to take a darkened climate controlled van for a Disneyfied version.
If, like me, your time in the area is limited I would suggest Mt. Lemmon or Madera Canyon as far more enjoyable and user-friendly ways to experience the amazing and unique beauty of the landscape.

Sabino Canyon Crawler: Do not miss it. There are no stops when you go up the canyon, but you can get off and on as much as you want on the way down—provided there is room on the shuttle. It can get crowded and warmer later in the day so we went pretty early. Nice gift shop and rest rooms at the base. I don’t think there were any rest room up in the canyon itself.

I spent a very enjoyable morning in the Sabino canyon taking a two and a half hour walk suggested by the very helpful guide in the visitor centre. My walk did not need a shuttle bus but started right from the centre and ended there. I saw many Saguaro cacti, (plenty with flowers) many other cacti, attractive landscapes and there were some sheltered and shaded areas along the route. My route followed the Esperero trail then the Rattlesnake trail, then the Creek trail passing the dam and back to the visitor centre. I wore walking sandals and carried lots of water - and it was fine. No rain has fallen in this area since November 2024 so the dam was empty. There was nowhere to swim at all. Barely enough water to paddle actually! Interesting walk and mildly challenging.

Cool recreation area open to the public. Bicyclists are able to bike here at certain hours of the day.
I've been able to trail run here in the past.
There are a couple of different hikes at different grades for inexperienced and experienced hikers.
10/10 would recommend. National park passes are a must. Lol.

Took the 1 hour round trip tram ride. With round trip ticket You can walk the whole way down or part way down. There are no stops going up but several going down. We rode both ways. It was beautiful and well worth price. Narration is provided. Nice visitor center and gift shop too. This was awesome. Highly recommend it.

The Canyon is 5 Stars and well maintained and kept tidy and clean!!
But the restrooms at the Visitors Center are of poor quality and not in keeping with the Canyon!! Nature has done a much better job than man!!
Sabino Canyon is a must visit!!

Good for all ages and fitness levels. Lovely any time of the year. Many hikes of different length and difficulty and a handy “crawler” shuttle for those less energetic. Tip ride the crawler up the length of the road and walk back along the road to stop 1 then ride the rest of the way. Obviously avoid hiking at peak heat times in the summer, and tailor your clothing to the weather. Bring water whenever you hike.

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area has numerous hiking trails as well as the Sabino Canyon Crawler open air tram. The tram takes visitors 3.7 miles into the canyon and back. On the day of our visit, we were up for a ride rather than a hike, so we opted for the tram. The tram was an excellent introduction to the canyon, including an optional audio tour via headphones. The tram makes stops on the return trip giving the option to hop off and hike part or all of the way back. We stayed on for the entire ride, about an hour. We reserved our tickets online on a few days ahead to guarantee our plans. The water winding through the canyon was a departure from the arid desert scenery on our other Tucson excursions. We’re glad we included Sabino Canyon in our itinerary, and hope to return for hiking another time.

What a gem in Tucson! So beautiful! The trolley is nice to go up if you want to just go up and down for a ride. Or you can get off and hike on trails or walk down the road. The scenery is gorgeous. It’s quiet. Bring a map that show the trails. Alltrails app has them too. It’s perfect for people who want to be active or if you have elderlies or young kids. Highly suggest Sabine Canyon Park!

Arizona was everything I needed it to be. It was hot and dry. The saguaro cacti and the mountains were 2 items on my bucket list that I wanted to see in person. I highly recommend a visit to Tucson. We visited the following sites on our 5 day trip in late June:

Saguaro National Park West, Gaslight Theatre, Tombstone, Bisbee, Misson San Xavier Del Bac, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Sabino Canyon, and Mt. Lemmon.

We stayed at the Lodge on the Desert and we enjoyed our accommodations, grounds, restaurant, and pool.

We scheduled the first tram ride in the morning, which is not only the coolest time but meant less crowding on the tram. You can get off at one of several stops on the way back and walk, getting picked up at another stop, but you must be at a stop to be picked up. Beautiful experience and easy to see why so many locals come here to take a walk without taking the tram. A very enjoyable experience.
This is a National Forest, which means if you have a National Park pass, you don't have to pay the parking fee.

We used the electric tram, rode to the last stop then walked back after refreshing swim at around Stop 8. It was a real Mountain Dew Moment that we think anyone else would enjoy.

I have hiked here for 5 years and never taken the Sabino Canyon Crawler to the top of the road. It was beautiful, delightful, and I liked the narrative on the ride. You can get off at any of the 9 stops and hike if you want, or just ride it round trip. You can get back on if you want to hike, if there’s room. There are bathrooms at most of the stops. No water was running but not surprised because it hasn’t rained in 8 months. I will definitely do this again.

The canyon, visitor center and ride are excellent! Hubby walked down the 3.7 Mike hike while I enjoyed the visitor center. We always make a day of it!

This was well worth the time and money to visit, especially in the fall (November) to see the beautiful colors! No water to see but will make a trip back for that!
We had two complaints and both pertained to the shuttle service. We were told by the official there that we could only pay for the shuttle using a credit card. Had to go back to the car for a card. After paying we found a cash payment machine and felt lied to. Secondly, the shuttle driver, trying to convince people to buy tickets, stated that you could get on and off as often as you wanted, as long as there were seats available. Might be an hour before the shuttle came back, but the ticket price included all day shuttle access. Along the road, there were multiple marked areas for the shuttle pickups. We decided to ride to the top and start walking down, knowing we could hop on a passing shuttle if we wanted. I did not know we were hiking/walking and did not have proper footwear, but I made the best of it -- at one point when I felt a blister forming, I took off my shoes and walked on the pavement barefoot. But after a few miles my feet were complaining again, so I flagged down the next shuttle. The driver completely ignored me and continued going even though there were many empty seats! I was surprised - thought maybe he thought I was simply waving - so I found a bench and sat to wait the hour till another shuttle came by. This time I took my receipt and stood in the road, waving the receipt and holding my hand out like a crossing guard -- "STOP"! He begrudgingly stopped, we hopped on and he literally muttered indistinguishable words under this breath as he glared at us! He did not stop for anyone else, ever, on our shuttle ride up and back to the visitor center. We were angry but also very hungry so we decided to leave him be and head for a cold margarita and guacamole instead. I don't know what his issue was but he certainly was not a nice nor honest man!
The Canyon was lovely and an easy walk if you have the right shoes!