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Arizona Trail Section Hike: Passages 8 and 9

Mike Rudd

The Arizona Trail runs 800 miles from Mexico to Utah through the state of Arizona. The trail is divided into 43 passages. In this article I share a 38.5 mile section I hiked in the Rincon Valley and Rincon Mountains (including Saguaro National Park). In this series we are covering each section I hike. I am hoping I can provide tips and insights into how you can spend an afternoon to a few days at a time on this trail that stretches from Mexico to Utah! Or for a few months as a thru-hiker! This is my Arizona Trail Section Hike Passages 8 and 9 guide, I hope you enjoy :).

IF HEADING NOBO (NORTHBOUND) PASSAGE 8 BEGINS at the gabe zimmerman trailhead near tucson ARIZONA. PASSAGE 9 ENDS AT THE Redington Road TRAILHEAD after hiking up and down through the rincon mountains. THE ARIZONA TRAIL ASSOCIATION PROVIDES DETAILED GPS COORDINATES AND MAPS FOR EACH PASSAGE ON THEIR WEBSITE. IT’S A GREAT RESOURCE! WHEN I HIKED THIS SECTION IN THE SPRING THERE WERE WATER SOURCES. THERE WERE ROAD CROSSINGS in passage 8 but passage 9 in saguaro national park is pure wilderness. this is an fyi SHOULD AN EMERGENCY ARISE OR if YOU WANT TO DIVIDE THIS INTO DAY HIKES. I HIKED PASSAGES 8 AND 9 OF THE ARIZONA TRAIL IN TWO and a half DAYS of hiking!

Arizona Trail Section Hike Passages 8 and 9 Need to Know’s:

  1. The Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead (beginning of Passage 8) is VERY EASY to reach and leave a car at. The Loma Alta Trailhead in Saguaro National Park is the closest you can get for Passage 9.

  2. Tucson Arizona provides great access to both of these trailheads. I reached each in 35 minutes from Central Tucson. Colossal Cave Mountain Park (partway through passage 8) would be worth spending half a day at for a cave tour.

  3. Passage 9 requires a camping permit to stay overnight in Saguaro National Park. It’s not recommended to hike the whole section in one day. To me it’s less about the mileage of the section through the park and the 6,000 foot climb you will encounter PLUS possible heat into snow conditions depending on when you hike it.

  4. There was also a water cache at the Gabe Zimmerman trailhead and a running water source about a mile into passage 8. There’s also water (and a CAFE!) at Colossal Cave Mountain Park and I found a source (should you need it) about three miles into Passage 9 just as you begin the ascent in the Rincon Mountains. It was running in mid April.

  5. GPS and Map Coordinates for Passage 8 can be found HERE.

  6. GPS and Map Coordinates for Passage 9 can be found HERE.

  7. I would personally recommend three days to complete this hike, including a half day spent at Colossal Cave Mountain Park.

  8. Saguaro National Park’s Rincon District (while VERY close to the major city of Tucson) also features Mountain Lions, Africanized Bees, and Rattlesnakes depending on the time of year. There’s a good map about precautions to take at the Loma Alta Trailhead but if you care coming from Passage 8 you might miss it. Here are some DETAILS on the “killer bees” which I found to have some unusual protocols! (Like flicking off the stingers and getting warning bumps from them…)

  9. More on the Africanized Honey Bees. It says they are less likely to be attracted to lighter clothing so I wore white when doing Passage Nine on the AZT. It seemed to be a better situation to encounter a rattlesnake than a crew of these upset bees :)!

What else happened that was memorable during this Arizona Trail Section Hike?

  1. I met a group of adults with down syndrome out on the trail. A group of about 25 actually with several trip guide leaders. They were having such a wonderful time and were so kind and sweet to me, it truly amplified my passage 8 experience.

  2. Pukes is a 2024 thru hiker that I enjoyed some miles with. He was one of many that had to get off the trail in ‘24 due to late season snowstorms that made it dangerous and/or inaccessible to get around some of the passages.

  3. You’ll pass a ranch at Colossal Cave Mountain Park with history of the Native Americans and you will likely encounter some beautiful horses during this piece of the trail. The stories were well told and the horses were full of love.

  4. Saguaro National Park is of course not on cattle land. Therefore its flowers and plants are protected and the spring bloom was abundant! One of the most beautiful displays I have ever seen in terms of wildflowers out on a trail.

  5. Have you ever seen the mighty Saguaro Cacti in person? Well you are going to see a LOT of them beginning in Passage 8 and into the park that bears its name.

  6. You’ll pass through a little desert oasis at the beginning of passage 8 that I found to be hard to navigate. Pay attention.

  7. Speaking of navigation the signs for the AZT disappear it seems in Saguaro and Grand Canyon National Park. You’ll need to know the names of the trails inside of the park you want to follow. (i.e. South Kaibab in the Grand Canyon rather than the AZT.)

WHAT GEAR DO I USE AND LIKE THE MOST ON MY AZT SECTION HIKES?

  1. Hoka One Kaha’s and Hoka Two GTX’s are my trusted shoes.

  2. I use my REI 40 Liter Backpack.

  3. Darn Tough Vermont and Merino Wool Socks from REI and SmartWool are my go to’s.

  4. Osprey Water Bladder and Lifestraw Collapsible Filter for hydration.

  5. I wear New Balance running shorts mainly and much prefer that to more typical hiking shorts. I also wear sun hoodies that I got from my crew at Scioto Made.

  6. The Arizona Trail Association is a COMPLETE and comprehensive guide. Use it!

  7. I carry a Garmin GPS and if I were to be a thru hiker I would use the Farout (used to be Guthook) App as well.

These two sections of the Arizona Trail are super memorable. From the mountain views to abundance of Saguaro Cacti to the beautiful tribute to the late Gabe Zimmerman to Colossal Cave Mountain Park to the iconic Saguaro National Park and Rincon Mountains you get quite the buffet!

Passage 8 had bursts of ascents and descents but nothing out of this world crazy hard.

Passage 9 is a climb. A super tough climb in my opinion because you’ll likely have either heat or snow, it’s tough to avoid both due to timing.

I caught Passage 9 during the wild spring bloom, which is bonus points but tough to time and next to impossible to guarantee.

This was also my 3rd visit to Saguaro National Park and this section of trail is probably my new favorite hike in the park. (I still love you Hugh Norris trail!)

This 38.5 mile stretch of the AZT was done on two and a half days of spring hiking. You get a bit of everything here. Big mountain climbs, cave parks, water spots, flowers, cacti, and hopefully no bees bumping you as a warning shot. It’s a real “classic Arizona” hiking stretch of the AZT.

Thanks for reading and happy trails to you! Whether you are planning a thru, section, or day hike…or are a trail town local, trail angel, or just someone wanting to learn more about the Arizona Trail…I hope the AZT gives you what you need! Don’t forget to Leave No Trace and pack your 10 Essentials!

Comment below with questions or your experience on hiking the AZT’s Passages 8 and 9.

Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R