Bear Canyon Loop

16.8-mi. 2725-4820ft. Up Bear Canyon, over the ridge, down Sabino Canyon.This is a classic route. It’s probably been run more times, by more runners, than any other route in the Tucson Trail Run series. Ask Gene how times he’s done it.Originally, Ken started the run at the entrance to the Sabino Canyon Visitor’s Center parking lot. Several years ago, we shifted the start/finish to the alcove the Forest Service built on the east side of the lot. In the early years, sub-2 hour times weren’t uncommon. Sub-3 hour transits were common. The trails are badly eroded and the Bear Canyon water crossings are largely obliterated by multiple floods since the 1970s. 3-4 hours is a more likely time estimate these days (Aging of long-time users of the route could be a factor, too.). When the water is flowing, some of us drink from the creeks at Palisades trail junction and Sabino Basin. Your call…Here’s an annotated map of the route. Remember to click on the partial map to see the entire map–Now, here’s another map based on my most recent GPS trace–