Description:​

The Tanque Verde Rim Loop runs along the edge of a narrow canyon with views of sheer rock walls and seasonal cascading waterfalls. The 2-mile loop trail has a gain of only 200-300’, depending on your route. The natural trail surface is well-maintained and easy to navigate for all ages. However, it is probably inaccessible by people using wheelchairs due to large rock outcrops and short steep sections along the trail (grades >10°).The trail is located 20 miles east of downtown Tucson, driving along city streets that lead ultimately to a dirt road for the last mile. There are three trailheads along the loop trail, labeled from west to east as the lower, middle, and upper parking lots. The middle parking lot is the recommended starting point because it offers the most parking spaces, has the best amenities, and allows the greatest route flexibility.At the middle trailhead, there are many picnic tables under shady ramadas, and a large sign with a complete map and hiking instructions. A restroom is currently under construction and should be completed by 2025. Signage along the trail is sporadic but sufficient to show hikers the route along the canyon rim.From the middle parking lot, the Rim Loop begins with a 0.2-mile hike to an overview of the colorful Tanque Verde Canyon and the house-sized boulders that create waterfalls and shady pools. Though the trail to the overview is short and flat, it has sections that are rocky, sandy and steep. If these obstacles can be overcome, the views into the canyon from the rim are spectacular. Leaving the overview, hikers can continue clockwise or counterclockwise on the 2-mile loop along the rim or just double-back to the parking lot. In both cases, the hiker will start and end at the middle parking lot.Along the trail, hikers will enjoy up-close views of ocotillos and saguaros, and panoramic views of Mica Mountain to the south and the Catalina Mountains to the north. Though this trail was just completed in 2024, it is already popular with families, novice hikers, and people walking dogs on leash.

A note of caution: The Tanque Verde Rim Loop is true to its name. It is a safe hike along the rim, not a dangerous route to the canyon pools. Heed the signs that warn hikers to avoid off-rim trails (such as the Upper & Lower Tanque Verde Trails and the Central Canyon Access Trail) because of hazards such as slippery rocks, flash floods, loose gravel and cliffs.