Bear Canyon Trail

I was in the area to hike Seven Falls which is a trail you can get off off Bear Canyon Trail. It is in in the Sabino Canyon Recreational Center and parking was $5 bucks.For Seven Falls you can start off right from the parking and work your way up to the fails or you can get tickets and a ride the tram up for 4 miles, if you take the tram, you are still hiking 8 miles so don't feel like you're not getting your distance in if that's your thing.I recommend doing the Seven Falls hike either in the early spring if the creeks aren't flowing to high or the fall, most of the hike is not shaded, but you do like 7 creek crossings and do get wet , so plan on wearing waterproof shoes. This was an Arizona bucket list hike for me so I really enjoyed it. The Seven Falls are worth it! Come early to get a parking spot .Distance (with tram ride) 8.2 Miles, but I am sure the .2 depends on where you park, elevation gain about 900ft, difficulty moderate, you don't have to scale rocks or scramble, you can easily climb. Amenities are at the center, and it's real flushing toilets. No, you can't bring your dog on this.

Great 17 mile loop trial in Sabino Canyon in Tucson. Bear Canyon is located in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area of the Coronado National Forest. The trail starts at the recreation center where either you can walk to the trailhead or take a shuttle for a fee. There is another smaller parking area off of Bear Canyon Road that you can access the trailhead from that isn't in the recreation area. Once parked, you follow an easy rocky wash to the recreation area. Accessing the trail from this parking lot makes the hike a little shorter. But finding a spot to park can be difficult because the lot only holds about 15 cars. Attractions you can visit in Bear Canyon are Seven Falls and Thimble Peak. The rest of this review is for the Seven Falls Trail portion of the Bear Canyon Loop Trail. This hike reminded me of the West Fork Trail in Northern AZ but with less shade. There is a restroom at the Bear Canyon overlook picnic area. The Seven Falls trail is 8 miles out-and-back and has seven water crossings along the way. I was able to walk across the rocks, but plan on getting your feet wet (or bring water shoes). There are lots of Saguaro and Prickly Pear Cactus along this rocky path. After the crossings, there is an incline and then downhill portion until you get to the base of the falls. The waterfall cascades down a rock face and is gorgeous. This hike is really popular and gets crowded during the middle of the day and weekends. I really enjoyed hiking it. The best way to enjoy this hike and avoid lots of people is to start early. And as always when you hike in Arizona, bring water and sunscreen.

Went to Thimble Peak from another trailhead and came down this trail, not much shade, definitely can see the mountains and cacti on both sides though. Not too many people, plenty of parking spaces when we exited around 2PM.

Beautiful hike. Kid friendly. If you need a bathroom, you can stop at the library on the other end of Bear Canyon Rd. The trail is down a dirt road and there are 10-15 (?) parking spots.

Needing a break and some peace and quiet and boy did we find it here. The area is beautiful and not too difficult of a hike, which was nice considering I am currently having some knee problems. We fully appreciated the creek and the sounds of nature, minus one very annoying fly (we named him Jerry) that had a fascination with buzzing by our ears. You can't take a bad photo out here - the mountains in the background, the trees right next to you, the creek at your feet - it's all amazing!

Really digging it so far. Gorgeous ! Pretty rocky at the start so I recommend taking it slow so you don't trip :) ! There's been lots of people on the trail so far which is kind of a bummer, also parking was awful, I recommend parking out a little further to avoid having to Jimmy it out of the small parking area.

This is a pretty good "beginner" trail. There isn't a ton of climbing or a big elevation change for the first couple of miles, but there's quite a bit of rocky terrain. The trail passes over the wash, which is kinda fun to cross when the water isn't moving too quickly! Once you get into the National Park area, there are a bunch of other trails that splinter off, probably the most popular one being Seven Falls. You can choose any of those, or walk on the pavement or compacted dirt road for some easier strolling around the area. It's a really beautiful place to go and spend some time.It seems to be well maintained as well. And once you're in the park area there is a bathroom and a water spigot to fill up one last time on the way to the lengthier hikes.The only draw back, as with many trailheads in the area, is that the parking can get a bit crazy. You may need to park outside of the "official" parking area, but it's not a huge deal.

This is a great hike in the winter. You are around the creek for the entire time which is nice after a rain. You cross the creek about 7 times, but be careful a lot of slippery rocks out there. Enjoy your national forests! Oh unfortunately no dogs, but a shorter hike if you take the shuttle. Get the map and information at the sabino visitor center.

Beautiful trail which can't be captured in pictures. It's a long hike depending on where you park and could take up to 2 hours each way. Swim suits are recommended as the water can be high and a dip in the fall is a fun reward for the hike

Me and my friends went on this hike early today and it was a beautiful experience. However we weren't fully prepared for how long the actual hike would take. It took us roughly 3 1/2 hours to make it to the falls and back. The scenery is beautiful but be prepared for a lot of people on the trails. Overall I would do this hike again.