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What is the parking area status with regard to paying to park? I understand you no long have to pay to park on most Catalina HWY trails, and even at Marshall Gulch you don't have to pay unless using the tables. As a trailhead, it is free at Marshall Gulch. So, what about this trailhead. If I go down there to hike the Wrightson, do I have to pay to do it, can I park and hike for free, or is a Park Pass the best investment?

I was there last year about this time and I had to pay to park.

Might swing by one of these weekends to hike this trail. Is there still a parking fee? And does parking fill up on weekends? Worried since lemmon is closed everyone is going here.....

@kelly14
There is the day use fee of 8.00, or the Coronado Pass works, and the US Inter agency pass will too.
If you go on a weekend, the parking lot will be full by 0700.

@Pivo Thank you

I've been down there a handful of times the past 5-6 weeks. The parking lot is filling up fast on a weekend morning. Last weekend I couldn't sleep, so I was on the trail by 5 AM and finished by 7:30 AM. Opened the trunk to car to start changing my shirt, towel off and enjoy a beverage and within 30 seconds I had someone giving me the stink eye to move along and open up the parking spot. They had 3-4 cars behind them looking for a spot as well.

Went a few weeks ago and made the mistake of letting my college aged sons sleep in and didn't get to Madera Canyon until 9 AM. Every parking spot within a mile or two of Old Baldy was full and I snagged the last open spot for the Bog Springs Trail.

With Mt Lemmon closed, everyone in Tucson is down here.

@SpiderLegs
I plan on hiking somewhere out of Madera Canyon next week, during the week, very early a.m. I may not opt for Wrightson summit because of the storms that are forecast, and I am not that fast, and don't want to get caught up there. I have never hiked Bog Springs/Kent Springs loop, and may do that one, to add to my list of "new to me" trails.

A great alternative is to start at the Agua Caliente trail head. We saw no other people. High clearance vehicle and pants advised. There's lots of PI ontrail.

Pivo wrote: ↑Jul 18 2020 2:23 pm A great alternative is to start at the Agua Caliente trail head. We saw no other people. High clearance vehicle and pants advised. There's lots of PI ontrail.

I'm planning on starting there on one of my twice monthly visits in August. How hard is it to find the trailhead and how much extra travel time should I allow? From Twin Peaks to the Old Baldy trailhead is 45-50 minutes for me.

@Pivo
Thanks for info. A couple of Tucson friends did that one the other day, posted on FB, I noticed. I may opt for the easier access this time around, but a 3 or 4 month stay in the Tucson area is likely in my future for late winter/early spring. And one hiking goal for that stay will be to do the ones I missed when I lived there.

@SpiderLegs
Perhaps budget an extra 15 minutes of drive time. The AC TH is .7 mile from the Elephant Head TH. I uploaded a track from yesterday's hike. Route Scout or Google maps will guide you there.
Additionally most of the trail is under nice tree canopy and the cooler air from the Agua Caliente Canyon makes it pleasant during hot weather.

I was at Madera from Saturday evening to Monday. I didn't have trouble finding a parking spot, and I parked at the end.

@azbackpackr

I haven't done that loop since about 1998 but it is a nice change from Wrightson summit, nicely shaded and cool especially as you approach Kent Spring (I did it counterclockwise). I believe the trail from Kent Spring up onto the Santa Rita crest was recently added to the FS system trails.

@hondah35
I endrd up hiking Vault Mine to Agua Caliente to Super Trail. But will keep these other chiices in mind for next time. Thanks for info!