The other day, we were looking for a trail nearby Vail, Arizona and we came across the Gabe Zimmerman Trail Loop. It looked like a nice little trail to try out and so we gave it a shot and here is the full review.

Gabe Zimmerman Trail Loop Overview

Gabe Zimmerman Trail Loop is an easy loop trail with a very small elevation gain of under 200 feet. This is a nice trail to go for a stroll through the desert and through some interesting sites like a rail bridge. I think this trail would be best suited for someone looking to go on a hike with the dog or perhaps try out some mountain biking.

• Distance: 2.44 miles
• Elevation Gain: 197 feet
• Route Type: Loop
• Pets: Yes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time needed: 1 hour

Getting to the trailhead

To get to the trailhead, input directions to Gabe Zimmerman Davidson Canyon Trailhead, Vail, AZ 85641. As you approach the trailhead on East Marsh Station Road, you should see the trailhead sign.

Pull in and there will be a small parking lot and an area where the trailhead is clearly marked.

If you don’t know, Gabe Zimmerman was one of the victims of the tragic shooting in Tucson back in 2011 when  U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and eighteen others were shot. The trailhead memorialize him with a pretty cool mural. It was sad to see but also cool to see them honor his legacy in the way that they did.

Trail conditions

The trail is very easy to follow and well-maintained. There are a couple of other trails that go through this area so be sure to follow your route map closely so that you don’t wander off of one of the other trails.

Route description

The trail starts off very flat and easy with some nice mountain views off in the distance.

After about .2 miles you will begin to drop in to Cienega Creek. The creek was dry when we hiked in late June as expected but it was still a pretty sight with its lush greenery. This little canyon is known as Davidson Canyon.

Because we were doing this hike just after sunrise, we had shade down in the creek area which made it very cool and breezy.

There are quite a few large trees in the creek bed which are impressive and I believe some of them were some type of willow. I’m not used to seeing big trees like this when hiking (below the mountains) so it’s always a nice surprise to run into them.

There are also some pretty cool rock outcroppings in the creek bed as well.

The creek bed/wash has some loose sand so it’s a little bit more difficult to traverse but it’s a short stretch of the hike and not an issue at all.

We did not see many saguaro cactuses on the hike which is a little bit weird for this area but you will see a lot of prickly pear and ocotillo in the nearby area.

At just over a half a mile you will exit the creek bed and hike underneath a railroad bridge which is a pretty cool site and not something you see on your hikes every day. We heard a train coming by but it turns out it was on another set of nearby tracks.

After that, the trail gets a little bit tighter and you’ll make your way through some vegetation as you begin to gain in elevation a little bit. This part of the hike is a portion of the iconic Arizona trail.

Right at 1 mile into the hike you will come to a gate that will likely be latched shut with a chain so you’ll need to open the gate and then close it back.

This is the stretch of the hike that you will come back on when returning to the loop.

There’s not a terrible amount of things to see along this part of the hike but it was nice and peaceful. However, if you are heading out early in the morning you will likely be hiking directly into the bright sun rise.

After about .3 miles you will meet up with the junction of another road and then it is time to head back.

As you head back you will veer to the right and follow that path as it takes you toward the road. There is a trail crossing but you are not supposed to cross the road on this hike and instead you simply walk along the road but be careful because it is quite narrow. You’ll have some decent views on your way back.

After you walk across the bridge over Cienega Creek you will then jump back on the trail and head back towards the trailhead.

Final word

This is a pretty cool easy trail that would be great to do with a pet. There are some decent views to appreciate along the way and it is cool that the features like the train tracks are a departure from the norm. Based on the tire tracks I saw, it looks like this would also be a good mountain bike trail to try as well.