Description:

The Phoneline Trail in Sabino Canyon has all the best aspects of hiking in Tucson. It provides spectacular up-close views of the Santa Catalina Mountains and panoramic vistas of the city of Tucson. The trail is lined with wildflowers in Spring, cactus flowers in Summer, and golden cottonwood leaves in Autumn; hikers share the trail with white-tail deer and Gila monsters; and the hike passes through colorful rock formations formed in an uplift millions of years ago.

The trail is also uniquely situated to offer what few other trails in Tucson can: shade. The trail is cut along a west-facing cliff. So, an early morning hike is in full shade for 50-70% of its length, depending on the season.

However, the Phoneline Trail also has all the worst aspects of Tucson hiking. The trail traverses steep rock faces with lengthy switchbacks; the hiking surface is a stumblefest of boulders, sand, gravel and rock staircases; and at times, the path narrows to a body width next to a vertical 100’ drop-off. After a storm, hikers can expect precarious stream crossings.

Those difficulties are somewhat offset by the trail’s flexibility. The Phoneline Trail stretches the length of the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and runs parallel to Upper Sabino Canyon Road where an hourly shuttle runs up and down the canyon. Therefore, hikes on the Phoneline Trail can be designed for a 5.4-mile one-way uphill-or-downhill route by riding the shuttle to the top or bottom of the trail. Or the trail can be hiked as a 4.4-mile loop starting in the parking lot and traversing off the Phoneline trail to the shady Sabino Creek Trail. Or hikers can plan for a round-trip 10.8-mile hike, and on a mid-hike whim, can cut back to a 3-mile route by dropping down to a shuttle stop for a ride back to the parking lot.

The amenities are plentiful at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center - accessible parking, restrooms, drinking fountains, and a gift shop and museum - but there are no restrooms or benches along the Phoneline Trail. Nonetheless, hikers on the Phoneline Trail feel safe alongside many fellow hikers and USFS volunteers who patrol the trail.

So, for your next family reunion, when you want to show off the natural beauty of Tucson to your adventurous grandmother, your urban sister, and your triathlete niece, consider a morning hike on the versatile Phoneline Trail.