Parking
A-7 is a small roadside turnout about 1.1 miles southwest of A-6 on Abington Road. Park there, then walk up the road about 0.2 mile to the trail entrance.
Overview
About Abington Long Loop
Why go
- A continuous circuit links several named paths and a broad Catalina view.
Heads up
- The road approach adds about 0.4 mile to the trail circuit.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Saguaro map
Full mapElevation2,405–2,618 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Saguaro alerts
- ClosureTucson Mountain District road closuresSeveral Tucson Mountain District roads are closed; follow posted closures and use McCain Loop to bypass the Kinney Road closure.Official details
- CautionVehicle break-ins reported at trailheadsVehicle break-ins have occurred at King Canyon Trailhead and other park trailheads; secure your vehicle and valuables.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Saguaro Tour Guide
Your drive to Abington Long Loop, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Saguaro National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Saguaro audio tourMore stories near here in the app
- El Camino del Cerro: Sweetwater to Wasson Peak
- Box Canyon and Ringtail Loop
- The Tree That Works Without Leaves
- Cam-Boh Picnic Area
- 43 audio storiesacross Saguaro’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 74 trails, 40 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Abington Long Loop
The loopFrom A-7, this is a 5.37-mile loop on foot, counting the road approach both ways.
From A-7, this is a 5.37-mile loop on foot, counting the road approach both ways. The trail circuit itself is about 4.9 miles: Abington, Gila Monster, Cactus Canyon and Coyote Pass, then the rest of the Abington Short Loop. Budget about 2¾ hours at a two-mile-an-hour pace, plus stops.
Finding the wayAfter Coyote Pass, continue on the Abington Short Loop return via Vertical Cliffs and Veteran's…
After Coyote Pass, continue on the Abington Short Loop return via Vertical Cliffs and Veteran's before rejoining Abington. The route briefly retraces about 0.15 mile of Abington. Several named trails meet in this network, so follow the trail map at junctions.
A view on the returnThe Veteran's Trail section looks across the Tucson valley toward the Santa Catalina Mountains.
The Veteran's Trail section looks across the Tucson valley toward the Santa Catalina Mountains. Saguaros in the foreground give a wide mountain view a sense of scale.
Start and desert conditionsThe A-7 turnout is about 1.1 road miles beyond A-6 on Abington Road.
The A-7 turnout is about 1.1 road miles beyond A-6 on Abington Road. Park at the small turnout, then walk about 0.2 mile up the road to the trail. There is no water along the route; carry your supply and start early during hot weather. Pets are not allowed on park trails.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Saguaro
19 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
56 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
266 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
113 sightingsCollared PeccaryMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
53 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
127 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Saguaro. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
