Parking
Use the paved King Canyon Trailhead lot on Kinney Road, across from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Pima County lists capacity for 32 vehicles; the trailhead is just outside Saguaro National Park.
Overview
About King Canyon /
Why go
- Colorful mine tailings and a cabin foundation reward a short loop.
- Old road, rocky ridge and canyon wash give the walk varied footing.
Heads up
- Loose cobbles and one major wash crossing call for careful footing.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Saguaro map
Full mapElevation2,887–3,245 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Saguaro alerts
- CautionVehicle break-ins reported at trailheadsMentions this trailVehicle break-ins have occurred at King Canyon Trailhead and other park trailheads; secure your vehicle and valuables.Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Saguaro Tour Guide
Your drive to King Canyon /
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
King Canyon: Wasson Peak or Gould Mine0:00 / 0:26
“You're coming up on King Canyon Trailhead, where the climb to Wasson Peak starts.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Saguaro Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
- Red Hills Visitor Center
- Ez-Kim-In-Zin and Sendero Esperanza
- 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 King Canyon /
A short loop to the mineKing Canyon / Gould Mine Loop is a roughly 2.
King Canyon / Gould Mine Loop is a roughly 2.5-mile circuit from King Canyon Trailhead through saguaro desert to the remains of a historic copper mine. This mapped version climbs the old King Canyon road, crosses the upper junction on Sendero Esperanza, then returns by Gould Mine. Allow about 1½ to 2 hours with a stop at the mine. It is a moderate walk with rough, uneven footing rather than a smooth stroll.
Follow the right branchThe first climb follows King Canyon Trail, an old roadbed with open views toward Wasson Peak…
The first climb follows King Canyon Trail, an old roadbed with open views toward Wasson Peak and Avra Valley. At the upper four-way junction, turn onto Sendero Esperanza toward Gould Mine; continuing up King Canyon leads to the much longer Wasson Peak hike. The route network also allows the sandy King Canyon Wash as an alternate way up the canyon, but this map follows the old road so its line and mileage stay clear.
Rocky ground and a wash crossingKing Canyon's roadbed gives way to desert trail.
King Canyon's roadbed gives way to desert trail. Sendero Esperanza starts broad and fairly flat, then crosses a rocky ridge with natural steps and a rut before following an old road partly reclaimed by stones and plants. Gould Mine is the roughest section: expect firm dirt, small sandy patches and loose, golf-ball-size gravel, plus one major wash crossing. Watch the tread through the wash and take care on the loose stones. Bring water for the exposed desert walk.
What remains at Gould MineThe destination is a small surface mining site, not a developed attraction.
The destination is a small surface mining site, not a developed attraction. Look for colorful copper tailings, a cabin foundation, and scattered pieces of old wood and ironwork. Gould was one of several copper prospects in the Tucson Mountains that had only limited success, so the remains are modest; the interest is in seeing how mining once reached this dry canyon.
Start and accessBegin at the paved King Canyon Trailhead lot on Kinney Road, across from the Arizona-Sonora…
Begin at the paved King Canyon Trailhead lot on Kinney Road, across from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. It is in Pima County's Tucson Mountain Park just outside Saguaro National Park and has space for 32 vehicles. Dogs are not allowed on the park trails used by this loop. There is no confirmed water source along the route, so carry what you need from the start.
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.
