Catalina State Park, north of Tucson, Arizona offers miles of hiking trails, musical interludes, perfect picnic spots and dark sky nights. Check it out!
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Hiking to Romero Pools in Catalina State Park
Sun shining with temperatures climbing slowly, we quickly toured the Saturday Nature Program set up in the picnic area by the trailhead (lots of live reptiles!) just before 10 am. The parking lot was surprisingly full already. Dogs danced on leashes, kids skipped, and we were all smiles. Yes, we were excited by the prospect of a couple hours on the trail to Romero Pools.
The Romero Canyon trail to Romero Pools starts out wide and sandy, allowing plenty of room to step aside and peel off layers of clothing after the first small rise out of the wash. At the Montrose Pools junction, stairs start the climb. The wooden ties quickly peter out and the route becomes progressively rockier – and even more scenic.
Recovering from Fire
At our elevation, there were only a few blackened trees and singed Yucca trunks left as witness to the devastating fire that burned through the park less than 2 years ago. The Bighorn Fire started on June 5, 2020 and consumed close to 120,000 acres along the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson before it was finally contained 48 days later.
But it’s hard to tell today that fire blazed through the canyon as we wander along the high desert hillsides.
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For more things to see and do!
On with the Hike
The trail climbs, descends, climbs a little more and then drops towards the sweet little waterfalls and series of slickrock pools along the creek. We wandered upstream for even more mini falls and narrow, waterworn rocky chutes.
Need lunch ideas for your next hike? Check out 10 Best Sandwiches for Outdoor Adventures!
The Romero Pools hike is listed as a ‘moderate’ degree of difficulty. Regardless of the rating, watch your footing carefully… she says with a grimace while looking at her scraped shin!
AllTrails describes the route as 5.5 miles long with 1,322 feet of elevation gain. My friend’s iWatch showed us travelling 9 kilometes (5.6 miles) with 450 metres (1,476 ft) of elevation – pretty darn close I’d say!
Music in the Mountains Concert Series
How sweet it is to walk back down the last few feet of the trail and here music pouring out of the multi-purpose picnic area next to the parking lot. We were fortunate enough to sit back and enjoy the toe-tapping variety of covers and original songs of Oracle musician Austin Owen. The show started at 3 pm but was still going strong when we arrived 50 minutes later and kept going to a packed ‘house’ until 5 pm.
On occasional Saturdays park-goers are treated to a live concert in the park. Sit in front of the bandstand to catch all the music while soaking up stellar views of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Performer and times change regularly, be sure to check online at the Catalina State Park events page for more details.
Time for a Pic-a-nic!
“Hey, hey, hey, where’s the pic-a-nic basket?”
Once the stage was cleared of equipment and the crowd dispersed, we carried in our portable gas firepit and camp chairs for smokies and veggie dogs roast. As the sun set in the west, the sky turned burnt orange and the mountains glowed.
Sweet perfection.
Outdoor Adventures Include Dark Sky Nights
The Santa Catalina Mountains are not only scenic during the daytime, they also provide a buffer against the light pollution from the city of Tucson. As a result, dark skies are one of the boons of being in Catalina State Park at night. And you don’t have to wait long for the planets and stars to start showing off!
The day we visited the Tucson Astronomical Society held a Star Party in the parking lot close to the bandstand. We enjoyed the concert, set up our portable propane fireplace in the picnic area, enjoyed smokies and veggie dogs, shared a few laughs and conversation around the fire, packed up and wandered down to the ‘red light’ district for a glimpse in the heavens.
A Star Party
With headlamps set to red light to keep our night vision strong, we mingled in the crisp night air with campers and day users all wanting to explore the world beyond our earth. Six different telescopes were set up with patient lines of stargazers forming as we arrived.
Together we explored the mountains and craters of the crescent moon. We gazed upon Jupiter and three of its moons appearing in the shape of an ‘L’ low in the west. The spiral Triangulum Galaxy to the right of the moon brought home the vastness of space – but it was the Orion nebula (birthplace of stars) in the sword of the Orion constellation that elicited utters of amazement from all.
Want more dark sky nights?
Try boondocking in other parts of Arizona!
When You Go
Special event dates may vary, but you’ll always find a wonderland of rocky canyons to explore, a perfect place to picnic and dark skies at night.
Park entrance fee is $7 per vehicle. Camping is available in the park, but it is extremely popular and reservations need to be made months in advance.
You can find information on hiking trails and more online at Catalina State Park.
If you love state parks, be sure to check out our post Arizona State Parks By the Numbers
And finally, while in the area be sure to check out Steam Pump Ranch nearby for a little Oro Valley history!
Sounds like a wonderful time from am to sunset! We are wondering if you can tell us where you picked up your portable gas firepit? Thanks Megan.
It was an amazing day, Angie! The firepit in this pic actually belongs to our friends – but we bought an identical one at Rona (in Canada). In addition to RV travel, it has come in extremely handy for camping close to home during fire bans (and for winter picnics!). Cheers, M.