Esperero & Rattlesnake Canyon Birding and Nature Hike

Trip Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult. About 3-mile loop, mostly on narrow, uneven, and rocky trail. Elevation gain of ~400 feet. There are a couple of steep areas.

Let’s explore the beautiful Sabino Canyon Recreation Area with a focus on finding our resident birds. Expect to see wintering sparrows, wrens, towhees, and woodpeckers, and maybe get lucky and see a raptor or Gilded Flicker. The focus will be on birding but the leader is also a Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalist so all nature discoveries are greeted with enthusiasm. We should wrap up around 11:00 at the latest. Plan is to hike an unnamed trail connecting to the Esperero Trail then hike down Rattlesnake Canyon to the Cactus Picnic Area from where we will return to the parking area.

We will meet at the overflow lot which is .3 miles north of the main Sabino Canyon entrance on Sabino Canyon Road. Requires National Recreation area parking fee of $8 per car or Interagency Recreational Pass. Highly recommend a sunhat, water, snack, sensible walking shoes, and your favorite binoculars. Hiking poles may be useful. Beginning birders welcome. Limited to 10 participants.

Leader: Cathy Yungbluth (cathyyungbluth@gmail.com)

Registration for this trip is free. Register here beginning Jan 14, 7:00 AM.

Header Image: Greater Roadrunner by Dan Weisz