Bridal Wreath Falls

Bridal Wreath Falls is a multi-tiered seasonal waterfall in a canyon in Saguaro National Park's Rincon Mountain District. Reaching it takes roughly six miles round trip, about 1,100 feet of climbing, and three to four hours. I'd go for the desert hike and canyon payoff; the falls may be a trickle or completely dry.

Start at Douglas Spring Trailhead at the east end of Speedway Boulevard. Stay left at the earlier signed junctions, then turn right at the signed Bridal Wreath Falls spur. The trail begins fairly level, then climbs over stone steps and gets brushier near the falls. The final rocky drainage calls for careful footing. The small trailhead lot can fill by mid-morning, so an earlier start helps with parking. Dogs aren't allowed on these trails.

The waterfall has several drops through a rocky cleft. The full cascade is easiest to take in from the streamside approach; at the base, the lower fall and pool sit below a banded cliff in a shaded alcove. If you want a photo with both tiers, pause before entering the alcove. At the pool, frame the lower cascade against the cliff.

This is an intermittent desert stream, not a dependable waterfall display. Heavy rain and snowmelt can bring water back, while many visits find only a faint flow or a dry ledge. Summer monsoon storms can send flash floods through desert channels, so stay out of the drainage when storms threaten.

The walk starts among saguaros, prickly pear, cholla, mesquite and creosote, then climbs toward the Rincon foothills, where saguaros thin and yucca and ocotillo become more common. One open flat on the route was burned in the 1989 Chiva Fire; grasses and brush have since grown back.