Location: Pima Canyon is located in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness of Arizona. The best way to reach the trail head is to take Oracle Road toward Oro Valley.Turn onto Magee Road and drive until you reach the parking lot on the left. Pima Canyon is one over from Finger Rock in the front range of the Catalina Mountains. The Catalina mountains are beautiful but dogs are not allowed in any of the canyons near Tucson because of Bighorn sheep reintroduction.
Nathan and I arrived at the trail head early in the morning to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. In fact I saw a huge difference in the amount of water I drank early on in the hike. The trail presented a profile very similar to Ventana Canyon with a couple miles of flat hiking followed by steep sections of rocky trail. If you are hiking to the top expect an elevation gain of over 2500 feet. Throughout the hike this canyon quickly became my favorite in the Catalina Mountains. Dramatic rock walls tower on either side and after three miles the view down canyon is fantastic. This hike is also less popular and it is possible to find solitude. One thing I was not expecting were the abundance of wildflowers along the trail. Nathan and I saw over seven species by the end of the hike.
Special Considerations: In the upper reaches of the canyon the trail becomes overgrown in places so some route finding is needed however I did talk to hikers who had made it up to the crest so the trail is definitely doable. In the final 1.5 miles of the hike we did see a Black-tailed rattlesnake. We gave the snake room and it very quickly became disinterested with us. Remember snakes play a vital role in the ecosystem and the majority of bites occur when visitors try and handle the snake or poke it with a stick. Total mileage was 10.5 miles with 2000 feet of vertical change
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