Italian Spring Trail

Italian Spring Trail is a hard out-and-back from Forest Road 37 into the Rincon Mountains, ending near Italian Spring on the Arizona Trail. Plan on about 13.5 miles round trip and 9 to 11 hours. The Park Service gives 5.1 miles from the trailhead to Saguaro’s boundary; the mapped continuation to the spring adds about 1.7 miles each way. The climb gains roughly 4,000 feet, so this is a serious backcountry day, not a quick stop at a spring.

The trailhead is on FR 37, reached from Redington Road. The Park Service says the gravel Redington approach is usually rough and recommends high clearance; four-wheel drive and high clearance are needed to drive the final 2.6 miles on FR 37 to the named trailhead. There are no restrooms at the trailhead. Parking capacity and fees weren’t established, so check access and road conditions before committing to the drive.

The route climbs south from the FR 37 access, following the Italian Spring Trail #95 corridor before joining the Arizona Trail. The first 5.1 miles reach the park boundary; from there the trail continues uphill toward the spring. Across this stretch of the Rincon passage, the landscape climbs out of desert scrub and grassland into oak and pine country. The upper trail can hold snow after winter storms, while the lower country gets hot in summer.

The mapped spring sits just off the route near the turnaround. The Park Service describes Italian Spring as a year-round source, while Arizona Trail water notes treat it as variable. Carry enough water for the whole hike and treat anything you collect. Dogs aren’t allowed on this trail inside the national park.