Thank you! Watch the weather, walk carefully, and stay off this trail during thunderstorms as flash flooding can occur.***. Many Tucsonans know it as the dirt road to the awe-inspiring Tanque Verde Falls. Despite the signage we did not encounter any nude hikers and we remained clothed due to a mix of modesty and the various cacti lining the trail. Easy hike. A few times we were looking for the best track and had to backtrack a bit. But if thats all youre looking for youll miss a whole bunch of other spectacular natural wonders. Born and raised Kansan, Clarisa has lived in both tiny towns and cities during their time here in the Sunflower State. You'll see a small sign for upper tanque verde falls. Douglas Spring to Three Tank Trail Junction, Douglas Spring, Bridal Wreath Falls, Three Tank, Garwood Loop, Douglas Spring Camp via Douglas Spring Trail, Stock, Douglas Spring, Three Tank, and Wildhorse Loop, Douglas Spring, Converse, Garwood and Wildhorse Loop, Shantz, Vanover, Loma Verde, Cholla, Cactus Forest Trail Loop, Mica Mountain via Douglas Spring and Cow Head Saddle Trail, Shantz - Cholla - Squeeze - Wildhorse Loop, Douglas Spring Trail, Tanque Verde Peak to Visitors Center. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. One portion of their newly created trail caved away under them and almost caused a potentially serious fall. Tanque Verde Falls are a set of waterfalls and pools inside of Tanque Verde Canyon near Tucson, Arizona. Vegetation and macrozoobenthos diversity in the Percut Sei Tuan mangrove forest, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The biggest draw is the billowing waterfall at the end of the 1.8 mile trail. (LogOut/ We had been trying to get out and hike with them for almost a year. From here, youll be able to look upstream and see the waterfall in all its glory. 1999. June, July, and August tend to be unbearably hot with temperatures sometimes hitting at or above 100 degrees. Along the border of Arizona and California, youll find Lake Havasu. Visitors can get there with a short hike on the Lower Tanque Verde Falls Trailhead. I want to especially thank you because at this time, I am partially disabled and can not walk far. (LogOut/ Good morning, #tucson! About the equivalent of 5 flights of stairs. The rocks on the way down to the wading pool are soooo slippery. Done January 31 2023 and it took a good 3 hours. There are many smaller waterfalls and swimming holes along the way. Tanque Verde Falls, Tucson: See 38 reviews, articles, and 112 photos of Tanque Verde Falls, ranked No.57 on Tripadvisor among 348 attractions in Tucson. We finally went around him. Any reference made here to local businesses, services, classes, etc. Fun hike! The trail pops you right out onto the nude beach. There is a lot of sand and great places for just hanging out by the water in Tucson, this is basically like finding a unicorn. Trail is not marked/ not well defined so be prepared to get a little lost. Great post! Xander of course had hard time not being the leader of our troop, typical Xander. Continue a few hundred feet and park to the left . Yes, the 3rd hike entrance is known as "The Nudist" area. The sound of the fall gets louder and louder as you descend the trail. I think we expected to see more cars at the trailhead but there were none (save the nomad). Great place to hike. It took us about 15 minutes from Tanque Verde Falls to Aqua Caliente Park. No nudists today. Those who wear clothes are welcome as well and and seem to accept nudity up there. Nothing very steep until the last 20 feet before you drop into "the beach". Please explore responsibly! I had no idea I would see a 100 foot or so waterfall in full display when I headed out to explore near Tucson. There are many steep, slick rocks to climb and navigate, along with a steady increase in elevation. why people bring their mutts to hiking trails made for humans, or beaches that we have designated to be at mostly more than the natural areas unused by humans, is beyond me. Lots of nudists - don't hike nude here, there are families on this trail too! A searcher at the base of Tanque Verde Falls during search for bodies after drownings on July 30, 1981. Those of us who view the human body as a normal natural thing also like to enjoy the great outdoors in a natural way. Love you guys!! You can hike/walk approximately three miles uphill if you wish, or turn around at any point and retrace your steps back to where you started. He also had a hard time resisting the smell of the cactus, knock on wood he did not learn the sting yet. Yearning for more cascading waters? Its only 0.6 miles, but once the trail enters the canyon, you have to wade and scramble over boulders to reach the base of the falls. There are several waterfalls along this creek but the top one is the most impressive. You could just hike down to the beach or decide to head upstream or downstream as far you wish or until you cant go any further. Note you must do some scrambling over boulders once you are down in the wash - and to see the falls. . From here you'll also be able to see the star of the show which is an 80ft waterfall spilling over the canyon wall into a deep pool. The hike down to the water is very quick couldnt have been more than 15 minutes. Tanque Verde Falls is about 20 miles east of Tucson, but feels more remote than its location lets on. Our adventure today was joined by Sarahs cousin Marcia and her wife Nadia. An optional trail leads directly to the falls themselves, although this portion is a slightly more difficult climb due to . The scenery, the company, the beach, and the stream left Sarah with a stamp on her brain as a lasting impression. Great area and swimming hole. 1,094 Sq. Details: The entrance to Saguaro National Park's Rincon Mountain District is at 3693 S. Old Spanish Trail. There are many smaller waterfalls and swimming holes along the way. All in all, we spent about 2 hours from the trailhead with plenty of relaxing time at the bottom. Searching is a slow process at Tanque Verde Falls and along the creek below it, where at . Kids don't care about nudity. If you make your way back to the paved trail and head upstream (right) youll be treated to one of the most scenic interpretive trails Ive come across in Arizona. There is an area somewhere along the Tanque Verde Falls where there is what has become a clothing-free friendly area with a pool for dipping. There were several portions of the trail that required rock scrambling, and the rocks were somewhat slippery. Continue with purchase. There were sunbathers at the beach but its not anything you wouldnt see at the art museum. There were a couple of 5 foot boulders that needed to be climbed in order to continue the journey to the waterfalls, and most of us opted to just put our feet in the water where we were. It had warmed up and was beautiful at park. Hunter Douglas . Beautiful from start to finish. LYMAN LAKE NEAR ST. JOHNS, AZ. View all posts by Paul. Tanque Verde Falls Trail is among my favorite places to hike in Tucson during the summer. Call the Forest Service (749-8700) or visit one of their locations for a copy of this map. Next time, I want to go downstream to see if we can make it to the top of the lower falls, but the hike upstream is well worthwhile, too. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Once the pavement stops and turns to dirt, watch for the trailhead parking lot on the left. It is wonderful. Be forewarned the rope does not appear to be properly anchored. Personally, I was distracted by 2 incredibly large crows sitting atop a dead cactus. Did the hike with kids & experienced naked hikerslots to talk about on our ride afterwards! Change). The surrounding area, known as the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, is popular for camping, hiking, and fishing. There is nothing disgusting about the human body. There is an area somewhere along the Tanque Verde Falls where there is what has become a clothing-free friendly area with a pool for dipping. There are no restrooms along the trail or at the trailhead. Our hike to Upper Tanque Verde Falls after heavy snowfall/melt in January of 2019. Planning to hit more of southern AZ this year. LIFE IS GOOD. Saw a few people picnics g and enjoying the cold water. The start of the trail there was a big yellow warning sign about not cliff jumping, and many hikers had written on the sign about nudity. Its position along the Mount Lemmon Highway makes Molino Basin a perfect basecamp for further adventures in the Santa Catalina Mountains, and the Arizona Trail passes right through the Basin along Molino Creek which flows strongly in the S Drive through the gate of Saguaro National Park and continue straight onto Cactus Forest Drive. We didnt see where the loop connected in the stream, but that was okay. The human body is just as natural as any animals exposed body. Watch for rattle snakes! A 1.7 mike hiking, scrambling, and canyoneering route from the lower falls trailhead to the upper falls.3 obstacles to find my way around. The boulders & rocks became too much for my rottweiler. Tanque Verde Falls is a beautiful and popular hike on the far east side of Tucson. My awesome comrade actually did make it over that incredibly large bump/crater, but alas, it wasnt necessary as we realized we had gone too far, and headed back down. Yes nakedness is common from just below the upper falls on up. LITTLE COLORADO RVR ABV ZION RES. airplane graveyard. A 3 rattler wouldnt let us go down the path. Note: 0.1 miles above the falls, there is a junction with another trail confusingly marked upper. At least 30 people have died here in the last 50 years. Great place to hike or hang out. This hike started out with some fun knowledge that there is nudist in the area and it is possible to encounter naked people on the trail. Great group photo! You have the option to either hop on a tram that will take you to the 7 Falls trailhead for $4 a person, or walk the 2 miles yourself. If you are aiming to complete the entire trail and arrive back at the trailhead, plan for about 2-4 hours. 2023 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy. Alternatively, you may use. Pretty challenging. Also, we had a dog with us, and try as she might, she couldnt jump on top ofthe boulder. Tanque Verde Falls is about 10 miles from most restaurants. After pictures, goofing around on the beach, eating some poop, falling in the water, climbing over rocks, and flying the drone we decided to head back. Definitely lots of boulder scrambling which makes it fun. So I turned back after about a quarter mile. We were the first ones up there when we went, but if you go on a weekend or during the summer, you will probably see other cars parked there. Its not private property but has been taken over by others. This is a short hike up the Tanque Verde wash to an 80 foot waterfall. Once at the bottom, the rest of the hike will consist of boulder hopping and climbing. The towering walls on each side provide shade in certain times of Drive the Cactus Forest Loop in Saguaro's Rincon Mountain District, Drive the Scenic Loop in Saguaro National Park East (Cactus Forest). ARIZONA TANQUE VERDE FALLS East of Tuscon, this is the best gay swimming hole in the world, when there is water in it. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Tanque Verde Falls. No real trail once you hit the river bed. The intent of TucsonTopia is to provide ideas for family-friendly activities, events, and resources. You will come across many off leash dogs, while I can respect a well trained off leash dog, your dog running up to my dog that's on a leash I wouldn't consider well trained. Pay It Forward with the Gear.com Give A Buck Program. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. As I made my way toward the waterfall the first time, I asked an older gent coming toward me on the trail with his camera in tow if hed found the fall. The less demanding route is to start from Redington Road at the second trailhead, which is a few hundred feet northeast of the first starting point. In time where youre supposed to be wearing a mask but you arent even wearing anything besides cologne and shoes. Shoes with good tread would be highly recommended. tucson, az. The best months for hiking are October, November, December, January, February, March, or April when daytime temperatures typically range between 65-86 degrees. The beach was 50ft long by 20ft wide and felt and looked just like beach sand, perfect for some nude sunbathing. While there are 31 state parks in Arizona, it is the states three national parks that are the most well-known. In fact most kids naturally want to be nude. Early Saturday, started with a group, but this is a wonderful and rare space to scramble on the rocks, enjoy the water, and take ones sweet time. 10 Essentials images for $40. This area, which has been a popular naturist . Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Dogs are allowed but do not expect to reach the waterfall if you bring a dog; the terrain is very rough. Site and Upper Tanque Verde Falls would be closed with vehicle barriers. Very fun hike with some rock scrambling. LITTLE COLORADO R ABV LYMAN LAKE NR ST. JOHNS, AZ. 2 Baths. One of the efforts to improve community welfare is through community empowerment activities. Its a beautiful trail with a great waterfall oasis at the end. A primitive rock scramble through the dry riverbed will lead you to an oasis-like areayoull know when you get there. After following the wash for several miles . Be sure to arrive early on weekends and holidays as it does tend to fill up. Thats what I found out when I went chasing the waterfall thats only three minutes from the Proctor Trailhead parking lot. That one leads way into areas much less traveled, quiet, varied vegetation and beautiful (north and east of the outlined route). It is not a developed trail and there is potential for serious injury or worse if you arent paying attention. Completely random! I would find out soon enough that people strolling the trails with massive scopes or camera lenses are there to see birds, not waterfalls. Be sure to have a good trail guide to reference with you as well as a ton of water! Not sure if Id take young kids out on the trail but to each their own. However, for folks who don't have much time in the park, are with friends and family who aren't hikers, or are literally just driving through, the Cactus Forest Loop is the perfect activity. Drive east on Tanque Verde Road, toward Redington Pass. First half of the trail was easy. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. This area definitely deserves several trips for exploration beforehand, I felt like we needed to make the right choice for which hike we were going to do, but I dont think you can go wrong. We encourage you to do your own research before participating in an event or engaging with a local business or organization. Using your Facebook account arent paying attention had hard time resisting the smell of the 1.8 mile trail remote its... # x27 ; s Rincon Mountain District is at 3693 S. Old trail! 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