Summerhaven & Marshall Gulch with Holly Kleindienst

Trip difficulty: Moderate. 2+ miles on foot with some elevation gain on pavement and on uneven terrain at 9,000+ ft. altitude. Restrooms available at the Visitor Center in Summerhaven.

Early summer hosts brilliant Red-faced Warblers and Painted Redstarts at the top of Mt. Lemmon, as well as Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Warbling Vireos & Cordilleran Flycatchers. The high elevation also provides views of many other year-round resident species that can’t be seen in the Tucson Valley such as Steller’s Jay, Acorn Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch and Mountain Chickadee. We will bird the business and residential area of Summerhaven, and then bump down the road to the USFS Marshall Gulch Picnic Area to poke around a bit more.

Dress in layers; the morning is likely to be quite cool. Wear good walking shoes, and bring your binocs, water & snacks. Meet in the public parking lot across the street from the Visitor Center in Summerhaven near the Sawmill Run Restaurant. Wrap up around 10:30 am. Limit 10 participants.

Leader: Holly Kleindienst (hollykleindienst@gmail.com)

Registration for this trip is free. Register here starting Saturday, April 8, 7:00 AM.

Header Image: Steller’s Jay by Shawn Cooper