Wilderness of Rocks Loop (Pusch Ridge Wilderness)

Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Coronado National Forest (Mount Lemmon, north of Tucson)

Pusch Ridge towers over Tucson, and the wilderness behind it climbs from saguaro desert to Douglas-fir forest on Mount Lemmon. The Wilderness of Rocks is its high-country showpiece: a maze of granite boulders and spires below the summit. A 2022 trip video describes it as a cross between Canyonlands and the Sierra. A loop of about 10 miles from the top of Mount Lemmon drops into the rocks and climbs back out, with room to camp among the granite.

It starts high on Mount Lemmon, but water is scarce and bighorn sheep rules apply.

The hike

The Forest Service describes Pusch Ridge as one of the most prominent features of the Santa Catalina Mountains, with saguaros on its lower slopes and dark Douglas-fir on its upper reaches. It says the 56,933-acre wilderness spans elevations from 2,800 to 8,800 feet.

The loop starts high. The Forest Service says the Mount Lemmon Trail #5 begins near the summit of the 9,157-foot peak, at a parking area about a mile past Mount Lemmon Ski Valley near the end of Observatory Road. It describes big views: the Wilderness of Rocks to the southeast, Romero Canyon to the west and north, and Pusch Ridge stair-stepping toward Tucson. The trail connects to the Sutherland, Lemmon Rock Lookout, Wilderness of Rocks, Romero, and West Fork trails.

The Forest Service notes the hardest stretches: a series of switchbacks where the trail drops off the high ridge toward the Wilderness of Rocks, and the section between the Wilderness of Rocks and West Fork junctions, where grades are as steep as they get in the Santa Catalinas. AllTrails describes the loop as exploring the rocky formations of the Wilderness of Rocks and passing through cool forests near Mount Lemmon.

The 2022 trip video describes camping among exposed granite slickrock in the Wilderness of Rocks with Mount Lemmon in the background, and walking through a maze of slick granite boulders and spires the next day. The same three-day trip dropped to Hutch’s Pool in the West Fork of Sabino Canyon and climbed back past Romero Pass. The Forest Service says connecting trails at Romero Pass lead to Mount Lemmon’s summit, the Wilderness of Rocks, and Sabino Basin.

The Armchair Explorer says primitive camping is allowed in most of the wilderness, but that the steep terrain makes it hard to find a spot large enough for a tent. It describes the life zones running from full Sonoran Desert to subalpine forest of aspen, fir, spruce, and pine, and says cross-country travel can be extremely difficult and dangerous.

Wilderness Need surveyed the area in 2023 after the last big fire, which it says affected the entire wilderness. It found the backpacking surprisingly nice thanks to recent trail work, and noted heavy visitor use near Mount Lemmon from May to October but few backpackers. It also warns that water is scarce, with only the upper reaches of Lemmon and Sabino Creeks reliable all year.

Bighorn sheep shape the rules here. The Forest Service says part of the wilderness is a Bighorn Sheep Management Area. From January 1 to April 30, travel more than 400 feet off system trails is prohibited during lambing season, and dogs are prohibited in the management area.

For another southern Arizona sky-high overnight, see Mount Wrightson.

Tips

Stay on trail January through April. The Forest Service prohibits travel more than 400 feet off system trails during lambing season.
Leave dogs at home. Dogs are prohibited in the Bighorn Sheep Management Area.
Carry water. Wilderness Need says only the upper reaches of Lemmon and Sabino Creeks are reliable year-round.
Keep groups small. HikeLemmon lists a maximum overnight group size of 6 in the bighorn area.
Expect steep switchbacks. The Forest Service calls parts of the Mount Lemmon Trail as steep as any in the Santa Catalinas.

Camping

Camping is dispersed in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. The Armchair Explorer says primitive camping is allowed in most of the wilderness, though finding a flat spot can be hard. HikeLemmon says the maximum overnight group size in the bighorn area is 6. Motorized and mechanized equipment, including mountain bikes, is prohibited in the wilderness. Confirm current rules with the Coronado National Forest.

Inside Intel: The 2022 trip video’s second-night camp is the one to aim for: on exposed granite slickrock in the Wilderness of Rocks, with Mount Lemmon as a backdrop. The same hiker’s first night was at Hutch’s Pool, far lower in the West Fork of Sabino Canyon, warm enough not to need a jacket. Wilderness Need found Box Camp, off the trail and heavily burned, still had a nice flat spot for camping.

Trail facts

Distance: About 10 miles as a loop (AllTrails)
Route type: Loop from the Mount Lemmon trailhead
Difficulty: Strenuous. Steep switchbacks into and out of the Wilderness of Rocks.
Elevation: Starts near Mount Lemmon’s 9,157-foot summit (Forest Service)
Campsites: Dispersed; flat spots among the granite are limited
Water: Scarce. Upper Lemmon and Sabino Creeks most reliable. Treat all water.
Permits: None found for camping
Bighorn rules: No off-trail travel Jan. 1 to Apr. 30; no dogs in the management area; overnight groups of 6 or fewer
Trailhead: Mount Lemmon Trail #5, near the end of Observatory Road past Mount Lemmon Ski Valley
Last verified: September 30, 2026

The Lowdown

Supper among the granite spires:

A camp in the Wilderness of Rocks calls for a compact, dependable stove. See which camp stoves testers trust.

Read the full guide →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.