Wilderness of Rock Trail #44
The most spectacular trail in the Santa Catalinas! Wander among giant rocks. Swim in cool pools. Watch climbers. Be a kid again!
Difficulty: Moderate. The trail is four miles long. You can access it using one of the five trails listed under “Directions.” The Wilderness of Rocks is located at high elevation, and you have to hike uphill to get out of it.
Current Condition (6/2/24): The trail is mildly overgrown in places. There are loose rocks on the tread in steep sections.
Connecting Trails and Loops: The Wilderness of Rock Trail connects Mt. Lemmon Trail #5 on the west to Aspen Trail #93, Mint Springs Trail #20, and Marshall Gulch Trail #3 on the east. Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail #12 terminates at the Wilderness of Rock Trail.
Directions: Take the Catalina Highway past the intersection with the Oracle Control Road. If you want to access the Wilderness of Rocks from above (and climb Mt. Lemmon to get back out), turn right onto Ski Valley Road and drive to the top of Mt. Lemmon. From there you can make several loops into the Wilderness of Rocks using Aspen Trail #93, Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail #12, and/or Mt. Lemmon Trail #5.
There are two ways to access the Wilderness of Rocks from below. 1) Drive through Summerhaven and turn right on Carter Canyon Road. Take Mint Springs Trail #20 to the junction with Wilderness of Rock Trail #44 at Marshall Saddle. Or 2) drive through Summerhaven to the Marshall Gulch parking lot and hike 1.5 miles up Marshall Gulch Trail #3 to Marshall Saddle.
Wilderness of Rock Trail in Pictures…
Starting at Marshall Saddle, the trail winds among truly giant boulders
As you descend into the Wilderness of Rocks, you can see climbing rocks above you. From left to right: The Fortress, The Ravens, and The Wave. Sometimes you can hear climbers on the rocks calling to one another.
A little west of the Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail junction, you will come to a fine grove of pine trees. It makes a good lunch or camping spot.
If you wander around behind the grove of pine trees, you can explore amazing rock formations
Some of the rock formations are very large and dramatic
Be sure to keep track of the route you take when you leave the trail, so that you can find your way back.
Continuing west on the trail from the pine grove, you will encounter two more crossings of Lemmon Creek. You can walk down the creek at the last crossing and find a swimming hole. Or, shortly before the last crossing, you can turn left and leave the trail, following footprints until you descend sharply to the even more beautiful Lemmon Pool.
The waterfall at Lemmon Pool