Thunderbird Trail

Route Description for Thunderbird Trail

The Thunderbird trail travels through Saguaro National Park West, one of the most popular hiking regions in the Tucson area. This is also one of the best hiking areas for beginners thanks to its generally low-elevation trails. This hike is a good one for adventurous beginners who don’t mind taking on a bit of loose scree. Having a downloaded GPS track will be helpful on certain parts of this route.

Note that users report multiple rattlesnake sightings on this trail. Keep your ears open and stay on the trail. The washes on the route may have water flowing in certain parts of the year, but you should be fine without wading shoes unless it’s been very wet recently.

From the trailhead, you’ll descend down into a flatter area through scree. Remember that this route ends with a climb, so save some water and energy for the trip home. At the 4-way junction, stay to the left, then stay right at the next junction. Enjoy the cactus and the low peaks around you. The trail ends at a Y-junction where you’ll turn back and retrace your steps to the trailhead.