Sabino Canyon Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Sabino Canyon
The canyon in 2002
Sabino Canyon Location in Arizona
Geography
Location	Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona, United States
Topo map	Sabino Canyon, AZ
Rivers	Sabino Creek

Sabino Canyon is a beautiful canyon found in the Santa Catalina Mountains. It is located north of Tucson, Arizona, in the Coronado National Forest. This area is a very popular spot for people to visit and enjoy nature.

Visitors to Sabino Canyon can walk, hike, or ride through its scenic trails. You can find large waterfalls along Sabino Creek with small bridges crossing them. The canyon is also home to many animals. You might see deer, javelina, skunks, tortoises, and even rattlesnakes. Owls and scorpions are also common here, just like in many other Arizona hiking spots.

History and How Sabino Canyon Formed
Sabino Canyon Shuttle Service
Flooding Events in the Canyon
Supporting Sabino Canyon
Gallery
See also

History and How Sabino Canyon Formed

The story of Sabino Canyon began over 12 million years ago. This is when the Santa Catalina Mountains started to form. Around 5 million years BC, the mountains stopped growing around the Tucson valley.

The plants we see today first appeared between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago. Some of the first people to live in Sabino Canyon were the Native American Hohokam people.

A big earthquake in 1887, called the 1887 Sonora earthquake, caused huge rocks to fall. These rocks landed in the valley below. In 1905, the new U.S. Forest Service started to manage Sabino Canyon.

During the Great Depression, workers built Sabino Dam and nine bridges. They also tried to build a road to the top of Mount Lemmon. This road goes about 4.5 miles into the canyon. However, it was never finished because the land became too steep.

Sabino Canyon Shuttle Service

The first shuttle service in Sabino Canyon started in October 1978. After this, regular cars were not allowed past a certain point. This let visitors reach the upper canyon by walking, biking, or using the shuttle.

Sabino Canyon Tours began in May 1985. They offer rides that let people see the canyon's beauty. The U.S. government stopped the shuttle in 2018. However, it reopened in March 2019.

New electric shuttle buses, which are enclosed, replaced the older open ones. By the summer and fall of 2019, new open-air electric shuttles were also back in service.

Flooding Events in the Canyon

On July 31, 2006, a big thunderstorm caused a flood. This flood washed out a bridge at Rattlesnake Creek. This meant the tram could only go to the road below that point.

Many parts of the road above Rattlesnake Creek were also damaged. Silt and debris were spread all over the road. Luckily, the tram service was fully fixed. It was able to complete all nine of its stops again.

Supporting Sabino Canyon

More people visiting Sabino Canyon and nearby city growth have put pressure on the area. Federal funding has not always kept up with these needs.

To help, a group called Friends of Sabino Canyon was started in 1993. This is a non-profit organization. They raise money to protect and improve Sabino Canyon.

Friends of Sabino Canyon has given almost $500,000 for various projects. These projects include fixing trails after the Aspen Fire. They also funded a water well and new exhibits at the visitor center. They helped build new entrance facilities.

The group also supports research on bats, amphibians, and reptiles. They helped restore the old Lowell House Ranger Station. They also fixed historic bridges and stonework from the Depression era.

Every year, Friends of Sabino Canyon holds an outdoor holiday concert. It's called Music in the Canyon and helps raise money. People who donate a lot are honored with hand-painted tiles. These tiles are at the canyon's entrance and show Southwestern art.