Santa Ritas: Madera Canyon

Length: 7.0 mi Out & Back
Elevation gain: 1280'
Proctor: Starting Point - 4480'
Roundup: Turn around point - 5400'

• Rating: C - Intermediate* No dogs please

DEPART at 10:00 from Lowes on Valencia

Let's get together for a leisurely hike up Madera Canyon.
Madera Canyon is lush, heavily forested canyon with lots of beautiful Emory Oaks, Alligator Juniper and Arizona Sycamores. The upper slopes are forested with Madrone, Manzanita, along with Mexican, Apache, Arizona, and Chihuahua pines.

The hike will start at the beginning of the canyon at the Proctor parking lot.

We will hike up Madera Canyon Trail to the Nature Trail and then up to Round-up picnic area for lunch/snack before heading back down.

Hike at your own risk.

If you are new to the group or a beginner hiker please read these:

Tucson Hiking Meetup Group (https://www.meetup.com/tucsonhiking/about/) General Info
Tips for Beginning Hikers - Sierra Club (http://arizona.sierraclub.org/trail_guide/index.htm)

There is a Madera Canyon trail map here (http://files.meetup.com/372195/Madera%20Canyon%20Trail%20Map.pdf).

Road map to Madera Canyon is here (https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=211151916971589136864.0004d00803cef2bcd3ba8&msa=0).

A parking pass is $5 for the day.
I have a pass which I an use for whomever I car pool with.

Call me if you have questions.
Cell: 304.290.8066

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/0/2/e/event_185184622.jpeg

Mt Wrightson as seen from the Nature Trail above Madera Canyon.

"Because Madera Canyon and Madera Creek traverse four life zones and many habitats between the desert floor and the mountaintops, the Santa Rita Mountains in which Madera Canyon resides, has become a world-famous sky island known for its unique and abundant flora and fauna - from Prickly-Pear cactus in the lower Canyon to Douglas Fir and Quaking Aspen on Mt. Wrightson." Friends of Madera Canyon (http://www.friendsofmaderacanyon.org/join.html)