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A fairly exposed trail with beautiful mountain views as you ascend the pass.


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Map Key

6.5

Miles

10.4

KM

74%

Runnable

6,021' 1,835 m

High

2,716' 828 m

Low

3,369' 1,027 m

Up

65' 20 m

Down

10%

Avg Grade (6°)

30%

Max Grade (17°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Dogs are not allowed in the bighorn sheep management area; all of this trail beyond the first mile or so is within that area, so if you'd like to run with your dog, stay on the lower sections of this trail and follow posted signs.

Need to Know

The trail intersects the creek at several points, and water is available depending on the season. A number of nice spots for camping can also be found very close to the trail, often with stone fire rings; watch for these starting about 0.5 miles upstream of Romero Pools. Watch for patches of poison ivy which are near some of these areas.

Description

Your climb begins with your very first step onto the trailhead. You leave behind the wide sandy path and begin on your singletrack journey through a few saddles and down to Romero Pools. Watch your footing as several sections of trail to this point involve scrambling over fairly steep sections of rock.

After you continue past the pools, you'll gain even more elevation as you weave your way into the canyon and up to Romero Pass. Relatively flat or gently sloping sections alternate with rocky climbs. As you continue to gain elevation, you can see significant changes in the plants and animals around you, from dry scrubby ridges to lush oak and juniper glades near the creek. The last mile of climbing as you approach the saddle is particularly challenging.

This is a wonderful trail with a lot of elevation gain, and the views make it well worth the challenge.

Contacts

Shared By:

Niall Murphy

Trail Ratings

  4.7 from 15 votes

#373

Overall
  4.7 from 15 votes
5 Star
73%
4 Star
20%
3 Star
7%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#19

in Arizona

#373

Overall
64 Views Last Month
5,975 Since Dec 18, 2015
Difficult Difficult

0%
0%
17%
17%
67%
0%

Photos

Primary wash crossing with winter snow melt. Photo Credit: @thorvaea
Feb 6, 2016 near Oro Valley, AZ
Approaching the snow line on the Romero Canyon #8 trail
Dec 1, 2019 near Oro Valley, AZ
Looking back down Romero Canyon from the top of the pass
Dec 1, 2019 near Oro Valley, AZ
Looking north from one of the saddles on the way to the Romero Pools. Incredible views and desert vegetation can be found along this whole trail.
Dec 17, 2015 near Oro Valley, AZ
One of the stream crossings at Romero Pools.
Dec 1, 2019 near Oro Valley, AZ
On Romero Canyon trail looking west at Oro Valley, Rancho Vistoso, and Tortolita Mountains.
Jun 7, 2016 near Oro Valley, AZ

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Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 77 days ago
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