Parking
Access the south end at the Golden Gate Road terminus on the Bajada Loop; the other entrance is off Picture Rocks Road. Parking arrangements and capacity at either entrance were not found.
Overview
About Golden Gate Multi-use Trail
Why go
- Wide gravel tread shared with cyclists.
Heads up
- The point-to-point layout needs a pickup or a five-mile return walk.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Saguaro map
Full mapElevation2,520–3,031 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Saguaro alerts
- ClosureTucson Mountain District road closuresMentions Tucson Mountain District, referenced in this guideSeveral 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 Golden Gate Multi-use Trail, 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 tourRecorded for this trailhead
Ez-Kim-In-Zin and Sendero Esperanza0:00 / 0:31
“Up ahead are Ez-Kim-In-Zin Picnic Area and Sendero Esperanza Trailhead. For a meal break, I'd choose Ez-Kim-In-Zin's stone-and-timber shelter, with views toward Wasson and Amole peaks.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Saguaro Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Two Shifts at a Saguaro Flower
- Valley View Overlook
- The Smell of Desert Rain
- Hugh Norris: A Long Ridge Hike
- 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 Golden Gate Multi-use Trail
Follow the former roadGolden Gate Multi-use Trail is a wide gravel path along a former road in Saguaro’s Tucson…
Golden Gate Multi-use Trail is a wide gravel path along a former road in Saguaro’s Tucson Mountain District. It runs 2.5 miles one way between the Golden Gate Road terminus at the Bajada Loop and Picture Rocks Road. It is a point-to-point walk, not a loop. Without a pickup at the far end, turn around and walk about 5.1 miles total; allow roughly 1½ hours one way or close to three hours out and back.
A gradual desert traverseThe trail is broad gravel rather than narrow singletrack.
The trail is broad gravel rather than narrow singletrack. From the Bajada Loop entrance it trends downhill toward Picture Rocks Road, dropping roughly 440 feet overall, with some smaller rises along the way. Walking the route in reverse means that climb instead. Near the northern end, saguaros, cholla and tall ocotillo stand among the desert shrubs, with low mountain ridges on the horizon.
Access and preparationThe two entrances are at the end of Golden Gate Road on the Bajada Loop and off Picture Rocks…
The two entrances are at the end of Golden Gate Road on the Bajada Loop and off Picture Rocks Road. Parking details at either end and services along the route were not confirmed, so arrange your own pickup or plan for the return walk and carry water. Bicycles share the gravel path. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet; cactus spines, thorny brush, rattlesnakes and scorpions are hazards to keep in mind.
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.
