The Mount Wrightson area south of Tucson is full of great hikes that take you through shaded forests, babbling brooks, and offer dramatic mountain views.
The area is not quite as crowded as Mount Lemmon to the north and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to hike it at. We recently finished the Bog Spring to Sylvester Spring Loop which is a fantastic hike and a solid alternative to the more strenuous hike to the top of Mount Wrightson.
Bog Spring to Sylvester Spring Loop Overview
The Bog Spring to Sylvester Spring Loop is the big brother to the Bog Springs Trail and is a moderate to hard loop hike 5 miles long and with an elevation gain of 1,598 feet. It offers considerably better views than the Bog Springs Trail but it does involve a steep stretch of trail a little over half a mile long. If you’re looking for a rewarding hike through shaded forests with multiple water source encounters, this could be the perfect trail for you.
- Distance: 5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1,598 feet
- Route Type: Loop
- Pets: Yes
- Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
- Time needed: 2.5 to 3 hours
Getting to the trailhead
The trailhead is located in Madera Canyon which is home to quite a few other impressive trails and hikes including the hike to Mount Wrightson, the tallest peak in the Tucson area.
When heading down South Madera Canyon Road, you’ll see a turn off sign for the Bog Springs campground and you will need to take a left and follow the road (Forest Road 70A).
There are some campgrounds located right off the road and there is no parking lot directly adjacent to the trailhead so you need to loop around a little bit and you will see the parking lot for trailheads, which also has a bathroom.
Note that this is a fee required area.
- You may also be interested in: Madera Canyon Nature Trail
Trail conditions
Overall, the trail is in good condition and easy to follow. Some stretches of this hike are very rocky especially at the beginning. Other stretches of the hike are close to steep edges and sometimes require you to navigate over loose rocks.
As a whole, the hike is very well shaded and I would recommend starting off early in the morning for perfect weather if hiking during the summer.
Route description
The 1st .7 miles of the route is identical to the Bog Springs trail. A large stretch of that part is through a rocky old forest road. If you pay close attention, you will see a slight trail that meanders through these large rocks and that can make it easier to get through this part but it is definitely the worst part of the trail.
At .7 miles into the hike, you will come to the junction for the loop.
You can choose to go to the left which will take you through Bog Springs first (this route is less steep) or you can choose to keep going straight and uphill on the steeper portion of the trail.
I highly recommend that you go straight and just work through the steep part of the trail on an incline because I feel like going down would be much more difficult.
As you make your way straight, the vegetation quickly becomes more dense and you will be in a pretty well-shaded trail. You will eventually come to a trail spur on the right but keep going straight as that trail spur will take you back to the main road.
You will continue to hike uphill along a deep gulch on the left. The grade is very doable but you will definitely notice the incline.
One thing that I like about this trail is that it is not a 100% incline the entire way. You will have dips in elevation that help break up the climb which is very nice.
You won’t really have any views until about 1.5 miles into the hike when you will have your first glimpse of the scenery below. It’s beautiful but it’s fleeting.
At about the 1.7 mile marker you will hit Sylvester Spring. When we visited in late June the spring was flowing pretty good.
Enjoy the spring because the hardest portion of the trail begins shortly after you pass Sylvester Spring.
The hardest stretch is about .6 miles long and it is a very steep segment. For a large part of it, I was pretty much hiking on the balls of my feet. It’s not the hardest thing I’ve ever done but it may test your legs a little bit.
After about 2.4 miles into the hike you’ll finally make it to Kent Spring, about 6,000 feet in elevation. This is basically the summit of the hike although it is a bit anticlimactic because there are no views and the spring itself is not very impressive.
In fact, the spring was completely dry and just full of bugs/dirt. After snapping a quick photo, we were out of there.
However, the good news is that the most scenic stretch of the hike is just ahead. This is also the point where you will be entering the Mount Wrightson Wilderness.
We had to cross over a trickling brook which could be flowing much stronger in other parts of the year. You should be able to hear it before it becomes visible.
The next half a mile of the hike is pretty level and gives you a chance to relax after making that steep climb. Some portions of the trail going forward are pretty close to the edge so you need to be mindful about where you step and some of the loose rocks you might encounter.
All your hard work will finally pay off as you are provided with some amazing views of the neighboring mountains.
Again, some stretches are on loose rocks near the edge so pay attention to your feet placement and don’t get too distracted by the great views.
Starting this hike just after sunrise allowed us to stay in the shade virtually the entire hike. It also came with the added bonus of watching the light hit the sides of the mountains.
Along this stretch of the hike you’ll have some great views of the summit of Mount Wrightson.
The views through the pine trees are pretty fantastic. It took us a while to get through this portion of the trail because I kept stopping to snap more photos. I don’t think you can blame me, though.
Along the way, we encountered a horned lizard. These seem to be pretty common in the Wrightson area as we have encountered one on almost every hike we have done up in the mountains.
They are experts in camouflage though so they are not always easy to spot. But if you approach them slowly they often freeze for a nice photo op.
At just over 3 miles into the hike, your descent will begin to take you through some thick vegetation. At this point, most of the views are behind you and instead you’ll be making your way through a well-shaded and lush forest.
At about 3.5 miles into the hike you will have the option to take the short dead end spur to Bog Springs. It will only take you about one minute to get there. It’s not the most remarkable site to be honest but I figured it would be worth checking out for the sake of completing the spring trifecta.
After you pass the spring it’s just a matter of heading downhill on a semi-shaded path. The downhill portion of this route is not bad at all so it’s a relatively easy decline as you make your way back to the trailhead.
Final word
Overall, this is a fantastic hike and probably my second favorite hike in the Mt. Wrightson area. It offers a nice challenge with the steep portion of the incline and the views are very good throughout the middle of the hike. The only drawbacks are the rocky paths you have to navigate and that some of the trails are somewhat exposed and close to the edge. But if you can deal with those things you will love this hike!