Parking
Use the Box Canyon access at 7768 W Picture Rocks Road and cross to the signed Ringtail entrance. The small roadside pullout can be easy to mistake for a shoulder.
Overview
About Picture Rocks Wash Loop
Why go
- A varied walk through sandy wash, narrow trail and low desert hills.
- Saguaro and mountain views along a connected loop, not a simple wash out-and-back.
Heads up
- Loose sand and rock slow the wash section.
- Little shade and several junctions make it easy to follow a longer branch.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Saguaro map
Full mapElevation2,388–2,562 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 Picture Rocks Wash 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 tourRecorded for this trailhead
Box Canyon and Ringtail Loop0:00 / 0:23
“Box Canyon and Ringtail Trailhead is ahead, the start of a varied loop through cactus scrub, a sandy wash and a small rocky cut.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Saguaro Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Tree That Works Without Leaves
- Cam-Boh Picnic Area
- El Camino del Cerro: Sweetwater to Wasson Peak
- The Smell of Desert Rain
- 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 Picture Rocks Wash Loop
The loopPicture Rocks Wash Loop is a 3.
Picture Rocks Wash Loop is a 3.4-mile circuit from the Box Canyon access, linking Ringtail, Picture Rocks Wash, Ironwood Forest and Cam-Boh trails. The mapped line for this version measures 3.36 miles. Shorter descriptions also give 2.7 miles, but their turns could not be verified; this guide follows the fully mapped Ringtail circuit. It is separate from the 7.6-mile Prophecy Wash loop that starts at Cam-Boh. Allow about three hours, especially if you stop to check junctions.
Finding the wayCross W Picture Rocks Road from the Box Canyon parking area and start in the sandy wash.
Cross W Picture Rocks Road from the Box Canyon parking area and start in the sandy wash. At about 0.1 mile, keep left on Ringtail. Mule Deer branches off to the right; stay on Ringtail until it meets Picture Rocks Wash. Follow the wash to a small canyon-like rock outcrop at roughly 1.7 miles, then turn onto Ironwood Forest. Cam-Boh and a short Ringtail section lead back to the start. Several branches make it easy to extend the walk, so follow the named junctions and your route map.
Underfoot and sceneryThe wash is broad, sandy and loose underfoot.
The wash is broad, sandy and loose underfoot. Ringtail narrows beyond the first fork, and the route shifts between defined trail and wash. Saguaros and nearby mountain views keep the setting varied; the low rock outcrop is a useful landmark for the turn onto Ironwood. This is a foothill walk, not a summit climb.
Heat, water and petsShade is scarce and there is no water on the route.
Shade is scarce and there is no water on the route. In hot months, avoid the middle of the day; summer outdoor activity is best kept to early morning or late afternoon. Monsoon storms can send water through the washes, so stay out when storms threaten. Pets are prohibited on this trail.
ParkingUse the Box Canyon access at 7768 W Picture Rocks Road, then cross the road to the signed…
Use the Box Canyon access at 7768 W Picture Rocks Road, then cross the road to the signed Ringtail entrance. The small roadside parking area can be easy to mistake for a shoulder as you drive past; make sure you are in the actual pullout before setting out.
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.
