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Thank you for checking out my second hub in a series I started writing about hiking in Arizona.

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Before I write about the hike, I'd like to provide some background information on Sabino Canyon in Tucson, Arizona.

Sabino Canyon is one of the most beautiful desert canyons in Arizona. Sabino Creek drains from the southern slopes of the Catalina Mountains, eroding the steep, striated, metamorphosed gneiss walls into the drainage, slowly grinding the large steambed stones to particles that eventually find their way to the desert bajadas below. Water means wildlife in the desert. Early Native Americans find their way settled the area due to the bountiful water and mammoths, bison, and other large animals to hunt. Later Native Americans hunted deer, antelope, bighorn sheep and rabbit. The canyon provided local access to higher, cooler areas during the summer migrations. The year-round water also provided nourishment for corn, squash, and beans on the floodplain.

Two weeks after my first hike in Phoenix, my father flew in from Boston for a couple of days. We decided to head down to Tucson for a day trip to hike Sabino Canyon.

Sabino Canyon was considerably more difficult in regards to terrain than my first hike and at 8 miles, it was a longer distance as well. By the time we were done hiking that day, 6 hours had passed.

This site attracts countless people who come to stroll, jog, bicycle or ride a shuttle bus through the scenic desert canyon. The Sabino Canyon Trail ventures beyond the crowds and noise to reveal a rugged and captivating wilderness. Our specific destination was Hutch's Pool.

For the first half-mile the trail climbed through some short switchbacks to connect with the Phoneline Trail. After turning left, it continued for 2 miles with a fairly easy grade with awesome views.

Approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead, the route drops into Sabino Basin where several canyons converge. We followed along the Sabino Basin--it was grassy with some sotol, agave, manzanita and stands of oak.. About 1.5 miles from this juncture we had to cross a stream, taking note of the Arizona cypress. It was just a short distance to our destination. Hutch's Pool was situated in an elongated, rock-rimmed basin.

We did this hike before the monsoon season and that was good timing because there are times that the streams flood and everything gets washed out, closing the entire area. There is another danger to be aware of when hiking here--mountain lions. A few years ago, the mountain lion problem caused the area to be closed for months. There were multiple attacks on humans.

I highly recommend this site as it is very scenic and an excellent workout.