HONEY BEE CANYON

MOUNTAIN RANGE: Tortolita                              HIKABLE MONTHS: NOV thru MAR

TRAVEL MILES: 92 ROAD CONDITION: 1 (paved)

TYPE OF HIKE: C – Easy                                       HIKE MILES: 4.0

TRAIL CONDITION: 2                                           ELEVATION GAIN/MAX.: 300/3,022 FT

ROUTE TO TRAILHEAD: Take I-19 north to I-10. Follow I-10 west to Miracle Mile (Exit 255).  Turn right onto Miracle Mile.  Turn left at the first stoplight onto Flowing Wells.  Flowing Wells becomes N La Canada.  In 12 miles turn right onto W Moore Rd.  In 1 mile turn left onto N Rancho Vistoso Blvd.  The parking lot for Honey Bee Canyon Park is on the right in 1.2 miles.  The sign is easy to miss.

PARKING AT TRAILHEAD: Park in the parking lot of Honey Bee Canyon Park.

HIKE DESCRIPTION: Hike down the paved path on the right side of the parking lot to the bathrooms.  Take the dirt path to the right of the bathrooms (do not hike toward the picnic ramadas) to the wash (stay right at the intersection).  As you hike down the wash notice the large nests built on the pipe under the bridge.  At 0.9 miles you will see a partial stone dam.  Just past the dam on the left is a large boulder where you will find the petroglyphs and metates.  Hike 0.2 miles further down the wash until it broadens and becomes less interesting.  Retrace your steps.  As you approach the intersection with the bathroom trail stay right and take the Loop Trail on the right (good signage here).  Stay right at the first intersection.  Go left at the second intersection (0.8 miles from the start of the Loop Trail).  If you go right, you will exit the park.  When you reach another section of wash turn left and follow the wash to a huge stone dam.  Hike through the door in the dam and continue down the wash.  In 0.1 miles you will see an unmarked trail on your left and shortly afterwards an unmarked trail on your right.  Take the trail on the right 0.16 miles to the intersection with the bathroom trail.  This unmarked trail is a bit difficult to follow, but there is an old well, foundation, and pipe along the way.  Turn right on the bathroom trail to the picnic ramadas for a snack.  Take the paved trail back to the parking lot.

COMMENTS: The library reference below links to a map of the park trails.  Try an Internet search for “Honey Bee Canyon Park Oro Valley AZ” for information about the park. An added excursion after the hike may be to “Honey Bee Village Archaeological Preserve” about a mile’s drive from the parking lot. Return to Moore Road, turn left. The preserve’s parking lot is almost immediately to the right on the corner of N. Spiny Star Drive and Moore Road. Nice informational panels, ramada, picnic benches, and 1 mile hiking path on the 13-acre preserve.

BULLETIN DESCRIPTION: A lovely canyon with petroglyphs, metates, and amazing stone dams.

DATA SUPPLIED BY: Susan Beck-Brown & Joe MacIsaac 2/2017; Updated by Susan Beck-Brown 1/2022

LIBRARY REFERENCE: Honey Bee Park