Coronado National Forest - Bear Canyon - Seven Falls

My escapade this week was to Seven Falls, a spot nestled away in Bear Canyon, only accessible to those willing to take on the appx. 3 mile, one way trek with multiple stream crossings and boulder scrambles. It promised for sure to get me away from the bustle of life and out into God's raw creation. The hike is quite pretty, a trail meandering along the river in the canyon, most of the way. A few scattered wildflowers, including some cactus in bloom added splashes of intermittent color to the desert landscape. There were a lot fewer people on this hike, no surprise as it is much more challenging than nearby Sabino Canyon with its wide, mostly paved hiking trails. While not the most stunning falls, there aren't many in the Tucson area, which may explain why it's reasonably popular. I got to the falls around 1pm and found my spot to crash out at. With a stiff wind blowing through the canyon and the temperature a pleasant 80 degrees I decided to stay in the sun along the canyon wall. I had no desire to get in the chilly water, I felt enough of it when on occasion the blustery wind sent some spray from the falls upon me. The intense wind was blowing the small current of water completely out of falls formation at times. The few people there were heading on so I grabbed my camera to record some memories of my afternoon. The lighting on the falls would've been better a little earlier in the day, but my snails pace hiking led to my later arrival at the falls. Afterward, I sought and found a comfortable spot upon the water smoothed stone to lay down, close my eyes, and listen to the sounds around me. Hikes like this attract me as I really enjoy the sound of rushing water. Although, at times it was a competition between wind and water over which could make the most noise. There was little other sound to be heard today, except sometimes a tweet of a bird, fighting its way through the wind. The warm sun felt good shining on me, so I lay there for a while recovering from my hike in and preparing for my trek back to civilization. The hiking back was easier, as it was mostly downhill returning. I timed the trip back so that the sun would be setting as my journey finished. The landscape is always stunning here, with the late day color of the sun accentuating the tones in the rocks. I sat for a while at the overlook, watching the last light of day strike the walls of the canyon. Then before it got dark I went off down the 1/2 mile back to the Bear Canyon parking area.

Helpful tips: Carry plenty of water - figure about 32oz. per hour of actual hiking (electrolyte enhanced is best), snacks, and wear footwear that you prefer for rocky hiking conditions. Depending on water flow you may want a towel to dry your feet off after a stream crossing or sandals for doing that in. While you can take a tram from Sabino Canyon to Bear Canyon it honestly doesn't seem worth the $ to me. You can take Bear Canyon Road (off Tanque Verde) up to where the road ends and park in the median and hike in from there which will save you a little distance and not having to find a parking place at Sabino Canyon. Picking a cooler day for this mostly out in the open canyon hike will make it more enjoyable. Timing: a slow poke like me will need 2.5 hours one way, but if you're quick, you could do the whole hike in that amount of time. As you hike pay close attention, particularly at stream crossings that you don't loose the trail, there are posts with the hiker symbol on them to assist you in most places. Near to the falls the trail splits with the Bear Canyon trail continuing upwards. Leave the Bear Canyon trail at that point to go to the falls. Rocky areas, particularly near the falls are slippery, use care. Also keep an eye out for snakes, I ran across a couple (not rattlers, though).

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For Coronado National Forest visitor information click here.