ROBLES PASS

MOUNTAIN RANGE: Tucson                                HIKABLE MONTHS: NOV thru MAR

TRAVEL MILES: 50 ROAD CONDITION: 1 (paved)

TYPE OF HIKE: C – Moderate                               HIKE MILES: 6.2

TRAIL CONDITION: 1                                           ELEVATION GAIN/MAX.: 500/2,769 FT

ROUTE TO TRAILHEAD: Take I-19 north to Irvington Road (Exit 98).  Turn left and go west on Irvington Road 2.3 miles past Mission Road.  The parking area is on the right.

PARKING AT TRAILHEAD: Look for a pull out on the right, lined with boulders, just past a yellow “30 mph” warning sign.

HIKE DESCRIPTION: Walk back east about 100 yards to find the trailhead.  The hike starts at the Cascabel Trail loop.  Best to take the west (left) leg of the loop up to the junction with the Bittersweet Trail (0.6 miles).  Where this leg meets the east leg is not signed, but there is a definite trail.  Take a sharp left, ascending to the saddle and junction with the Bittersweet Trail.  Turn left on the Bittersweet Trail and hike to the junction with Sunset Pass Trail (0.9 miles).  Turn right and follow the Sunset Pass Trail to its end (0.8 miles). (The trail marker points back to Sunset and the other direction to Vista.)  Go downhill on a short, un-named connector trail to the Camaro Loop Trail.  Turn left and follow the loop clockwise until it intersects with the Bittersweet Trail (1.8 miles).  Turn left on Bittersweet Trail and follow it back to the Cascabel Trail loop (1.2 miles).  Take Cascabel Trail back to the cars.

COMMENTS: The trail is generally well signed.  The only place of any confusion could be on the Cascabel Loop (east loop not recommended until better marked).  There are a couple of rock outcrops suitable for lunch on the Bittersweet Trail after you rejoin it from the Camaro Loop Trail.

For a Robles Pass trail system map, do an Internet search for Robles Pass at Tucson Mountain Park or click https://webcms.pima.gov/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6/File/Government/Natural%20Resources%20Parks%20and%20Recreation/Parks/Tucson%20Mountain%20Park/TMP-Trails-Map.pdf

BULLETIN DESCRIPTION: Loop hike in pristine desert vegetation of the southern Tucson Mountains.  Views of the Tucson Mountains, city of Tucson, and back down to Mt. Wrightson.

DATA SUPPLIED BY: Ken Fleshman 3/2012