Sabino Canyon Visitor Center

Sabino Canyon Visitor Center

Hundreds of thousands of people visit Tucson's Sabino Canyon each year. The recreation area offers opportunities for jogging, hiking, wildlife viewing, and swimming.

Since 1982, PLIA has partnered with the Forest Service at Sabino Canyon Recreation Area to provide products that educate visitors about the area, create interpretive events and opportunities, and answer recreation questions.

At our bookstore, we offer publications and products for purchase that help people gain a deeper connection to the canyon and help keep them safe from extreme desert temperatures. Our outstanding staff are also available alongside Forest Service rangers to find answers to your trail and natural history questions.

The Sabino Canyon Crawler is a shuttle offering full tours of the canyon, as well as one-way trips to the top of the canyon trails. PLIA does not operate the shuttle; you can find more information about the shuttle and their partnership with the Coronado National Forest here.

PLIA also partners with the Coronado National Forest to provide retail locations at the Palisades Visitor Center (Mt. Lemmon) and Sierra Vista Ranger District as well as interpretive signage and visitor guides for areas throughout the forest.

A beautiful canyon in the desert southwest

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is nestled in the rugged front range of the Santa Catalina Mountains outside of Tucson, AZ. Mountains, water, and valley meet at Sabino Canyon to form a desert oasis. The heart of Sabino Canyon is Sabino Creek, a gurgling brook that originates on Mount Lemmon at 9,196 feet.

The lush vegetation along the creek stands in sharp contrast to the dry, saguaro-studded slopes above the canyon and offers rich diversity of plant species and wildlife for visitors to enjoy.

Developed trails from Sabino Canyon wind through the bordering Pusch Ridge Wilderness, to the slopes of Mt. Lemmon above.