Name: King Canyon Trail
Rating: 4.2

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Features Birding · Cave · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

This trail is open year-round. June through September are normally too hot to hike during the day.

Description

The King Canyon Trailhead is located directly across from the Sonoran Desert Museum in a large parking lot.

From here you have two options: start up the gravel covered jeep trail or drop down into the wash. If you choose the wash expect some scrambling up old cement barriers- remnants of the days of a more developed area.

After about a mile the two paths converge and Sendero Esperanza trail and Mam-A-Gah picnic area will be on your left. Mam-A-Gah is a covered area with several picnic tables. This is a great place to stop and have lunch! At this junction keep heading North-East to continue on King Canyon Trail.

The trail continues to climb for another 1.5 miles before reaching the ridge that joins with Sweetwater Trail. From here head North-West up a series a steep switchbacks. During this time be on the lookout for bat sanctuaries! You can normally see bats here at dusk. A mile later the trail ends at the junction with Hugh Norris Trail and Wasson Peak Trail.