Less than 15 minutes from Green Valley Arizona is one of the most popular day-use outdoor recreation areas in the Santa Rita Mountain range is Madera Canyon. Visitors can experience Madera Canyon year-round.
February 2008 after a cold front passed through Southern Arizona Joshua & I took a snowy hike, these are always a special day for desert dwellers!
Madera Canyon is easily accessible via Continental Road, following the signs to the winding Whitehouse Canyon & Madera Canyon Roads. Along this road visitors pass through lower grass lands into Madera Canyon and it’s pine-oak woodlands. Once in the Madera Canyon Recreation area you’ll find several parking & picnic areas as well as trail heads. The volunteer group, Friends of Madera Canyon are very instrumental in maintaining the trails in Madera Canyon. Hiking maps are available at most parking areas.
Madera Canyon is located in the northwest face of the Santa Rita Mountains, the canyon was named Madera (which means lumber or wood in Spanish) because it served as a major source of lumber for the city of Tucson nearly a century ago.
In Madera Canyon you’ll find
world class birdwatching
great scenery
a streamside nature trail
picnic areas
campground
Bed & Breakfasts
interpretative programs
extensive hiking & birding trails
outdoor amphitheater
Picnic areas and bar-be-que grills are available on a first come basis. There is a $5/day use charge. Visitors can also purchase an annual vehicle pass for $20 which is also valid for use at Sabino Canyon
and along the Mount Lemmon Highway
in far northeast Tucson.
Hikers will find many trail heads in Madera Canyon accessible from roadside parking areas. In the Canyon find four picnic areas, a campground and several private Bed & Breakfasts. The journey to Madera Canyon is along a narrow winding stream side road, introducing visitors to the diversity of palnt an animal life that marks Madera Canyon as a true desert oasis. Portions of some the lower trails are barrier free, while higher trails are steep and rock strewn.
An outdoor amphitheater hosts nature programs presented throught the summer under coordination of Friends of Madera Canyon. Oftentimes you’ll find visitors using the amphitheater for weddings, memorial services or other special gatherings - there is no charge for use of the amphitheater, is is available on a first-come first-serve basis.
Today Madera Canyon is a popular destination for bird watchers and nature lovers who come to see the more than 240 species of birds - including more than a dozen species of hummingbirds - that live in Madera Canyon’s diverse climate zones. Spring-time April and May are the best months for locating most bird species with the summer months June through September being the best for spotting hummingbirds.
Bed & Breakfast
Madera Canyon Birding
Arizona is for the birds - literally! Southern Arizona is a birds and birders paradise offering trickling streams, lush stream beds, mountains and canyons. A major migration route, Southern Arizona is often the location for quick break on north south bird migration routes. Southern Arizona and specifically Madera Canyon is a famed location for many birding trips. With the change of seasons brings different varieties and species of birds. Southern Arizona Bird Observatory is a non-profit organzation dedicated to regional conservation.
With a lower canyon elevation of 5,000' and a the Mount Wrightston summit 9,453' In Madera Canyon commonly spotted birds are several warblers, yellow-eyed juncos, Arizona woodpeckers, and rufous-crowned sparrows. Be sure and pick up a "Birds of Madera Canyon" brochure at parking lot trail heads for detailed information on when to look for the different species different times of the year helping to fill out many birders life-lists. Madera Canyon one of the few places in North America where the fat green and red Elegant Trogan can be spotted. At lower elevations hummingbirds zip and dart through the air.
Madera Canyon Hiking
For many hikers and annual trek up Mt Wrightston is required and it's not unusual to find several members of the Green Valley Hiking Club to make the 14 mile round trip journey weekly. An intermediate goal might be to hike to Josephine Saddle and take in the Green Valley Arizona views as well the Patagonia valley on the other side of the Santa Rita Mountains. The saddle is assessble via two routes: the longer more gentle Super Trail and the steeper and shorter "Old Baldy Trail. These are the two most popular trails in Madera Canyon, yet Madera Canyon offers numerous loop hikes offering hikers different trail surfaces and steepness of the trail.
Elephant Head Mountain Bike Trail
Just inside the Madera Canyon Recreation area at the lower Proctor Parking area, mountain bicyclists will find access to the Elephant Head Mountain Bike Trail - for non-motorized use only. The first several miles heading south are on a dirt road with several drainage crossings; generally downhill until connecting to the single track trail. The single track can be quite rocky & technical (Debbie’s personal note: I prefer riding on the road, but have done extensive mountain biking over the 20+ years of living in Southern Arizona... parts of this trail are very technical!) Before embarking on any back desert mountain bike ride be sure you & your bicycle are well prepared, have adequate water, know the route AND leave your plans with someone at home.
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Hikers will find many trail heads in Madera Canyon accessible from roadside parking areas. In the Canyon find four picnic areas, a campground and several private Bed & Breakfasts. The journey to Madera Canyon is along a narrow winding stream side road, introducing visitors to the diversity of palnt an animal life that marks Madera Canyon as a true desert oasis. Portions of some the lower trails are barrier free, while higher trails are steep and rock strewn. 
