El Camino Del Cerro Trailhead

I really enjoyed this trailhead. It had several trails with a variety of hills. It also seemed like a trail that either people don't know about or I hit it on an off weekend. It was pretty empty. The parking lot has been recently paved. A cool thing I really liked was the notebook to sign in on the trail. I'll def be back to get some miles in!

This trailhead brings hikers to an amazing viewpoint if you can make it that far! What started as a short hike turned into the amazing sights of Wasson Peak totaling a little over 9 miles. The first couple miles were easy and relatively flat, then about 2 miles in the incline begins. From there the trail leads to a lovely place to stop and have a snack overlooking all of Saguaro West. Then you can continue on in a couple different directions, one of them being about a mile up to Wasson Peak. At the top there is a box with goodies left by other hikers: some essential supplies and a notebook log. There were wild cat footprints all along the trail, so get out of there after sunset! Leave early and bring lots of water and you'll be fine.

I came here on a Sunday morning for a hike / run, and it was pretty great! I got to the parking lot at around 9AM, and most of the parking was full. I ran a bit and then walked when it became steeper, getting to the top at 10:45AM. The trail up to Wasson Peak was pretty clearly marked at the forks which was much appreciated, and the views were great! The view at the top encompassed all the surrounding mountains and cities below which was a pretty awesome view. The downside was that there were quite a few people at the top, and the trail in general was quite busy. Got back down at 12:15PM, and the parking lot was a bit less full by then. Would recommend!

My daughter and I decided to drive down from Phoenix to Saguaro National Park to do a day hike. We picked the Sweetwater Trail from the Camino del Cerro Trailhead. Because it is a National Park, I was expecting a pay station, so I brought along my Seniors Pass, but didn't need it. I was also expecting that there would be at least an outhouse, but there were no facilities at all, so be prepared for that if you come here.The trail itself was fine--it was well maintained, and was a nice steady uphill with good views. But it was so sad to see how dry the desert was in mid-March, with no wildflowers at all. We had hoped that it would be a bit better than the Phoenix area because of the higher elevation, but we were wrong.