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5671 Hits
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7 Votes
Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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32.37590°N / 110.8554°W |
GPX File:
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Download GPX » View Route on Map |
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Route Type:
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Hiking, Scrambling |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
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Time Required:
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Most of a day |
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Rock Difficulty:
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Class 3 |
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Overview
The beautiful Window, which gives Window Peak its name, bathed in sunlight
The majority of the visitors to this canyon stop at Maiden Pools, approximately 2.5 miles up-trail, rendering the majority of this route an experience in high-desert solitude. Moderately long and serving up respectable elevation gain, the route to the summit of Window Peak offers plenty of time to be alone and get the lead out. Most of the route is Class 1 trail hiking, with a short stretch of Class 2 off-trail topped by a pleasant Class 3 summit scramble.
Roundtrip Distance: 14.5 miles (per my GPS)
Elevation Gain: 4,500 feet
YDS Class: 3
 Looking toward the Window |  Looking down Ventana Canyon |
Getting There
A cool oasis low in Ventana Canyon
A small waterfall low in Ventana Canyon
Entering Ventana Canyon, a very special place
700 N Resort Drive
Tucston, AZ 85750
Head to the far left side of the lot to find trailhead parking (beyond the employee parking area).
Route Description
Near the main saddle
•From the trailhead walk along-side the fence of an apartment complex. (Trust me, the route gets much more scenic soon!)
•The trail turns north to enter the canyon, leaving behind the annoyances of suburbia. For the first mile or so you are on an easement that passes through private property.
•Early on, you’ll make the first of many river crossings. Enjoy the bajada mix of vegetation that makes the Sonoran desert so wonderful: saguaro, yucca, prickly pear, cholla, mesquite, and palo verde.
•After about 1.5 mi the trail leaves the canyon bottom and switch backs up an exposed hill side that can be brutally hot in the summer. The next landmark is Maiden Pools, (2.4 mi from the trailhead) a series of pools carved into the rock that makes for a nice rest spot and a good swim.
•Continue on the next 2.8 mi steeply up the canyon to the junction of the Ventana canyon and the Finger Rock and Esperero canyon Trails. Head right on the Esperero Trail (#25) and top out on a saddle separating Ventana Canyon with its counterpart draining north. Here there are great views in all directions: Mt. Lemmon to the north, Mt. Kimball to the west, Cathedral Rock to the east, and Tucson to the south.
•Continue about 1 mi to the window - it appears on your right and is easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. Head through and take a break, enjoy the unique view of Tucson. There is large cliff both above and below you at this point.
•Window Peak lies about 15 minutes farther up the trail. You will cross 2 saddles, one west of Window Peak and one south of the peak. Leave the trail at the second saddle (marked by a cairn on each side of the trail) and head north-west to the highpoint visible between and behind 2 rock pillars. Climb a short YDS Class 3 chimney (this section can be a bit spicy in snow or ice conditions). The summit lies just to the north. At the time of my visit, no cairn or summit register were present; apparently, these have been removed by the local “anti-summit marker zealot.”
 Lovely and challenging Cathedral Rock from the saddle |  Bold and beautiful Window Rock from the saddle |  Looking down on Tucson from the saddle |
Essential Gear
 The scramble would be very easy in dry conditions; a little more fun in ice/snow |  Brushy scramble to the summit of Window Peak |  Snowy scramble to the summit of Window Peak |
• Standard hiking equipment suitable to the season
• Sunscreen and sun protective clothing
• Plenty of water (the washes here do not run except after very, very heavy rains).
• Long sleeves, long pants and sturdy hiking shoes will protect your body from blood-thirsty plant life during the brief off-trail segment.
• Map: Green Trails Santa Catalina Mountains, AZ – NO 2886S
SUMMIT VIEWS
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