Wildhorse Trail

The Wildhorse Trail explores the northern side of Tucson’s Saguaro National Park East. This park is a favorite for hikers in Tucson for its higher-elevation trails (in comparison to Saguaro National Park West) and classic desert views. Our guide covers a smaller portion of the entire Wildhorse Trail, so you can either enjoy this quicker trip or keep going if you’re in the mood for more distance.

Come prepared with plenty of water, food, and sun protection. Avoid hiking in the summertime, and try to get an early start to avoid the heat of the afternoon.

At the trailhead, there’s a map you can snap a photo of if needed. Hike south on the stock bypass, taking a sharp left onto Wildhorse Trail. Stay right where the first split happens. Go straight through the next two junctions. It’s mostly flat, smooth sailing until you reach the canyon, where you’ll take a very short climb to the junction that marks the end of our route. Turn back here for a view of where you’ve just come from before you retrace your steps back to the trailhead.