Foothills Loop Trail at Kartchner Caverns Trail is a 2.9 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Benson, Arizona that features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
birding
hiking
nature trips
trail running
walking
cave
river
views
wild flowers
wildlife
muddy
rocky
washed out
We loved hiking in and out of the Guindani Wash just barely moving from the recent monsoon. Very muddy but really fun for those who are new to hiking.
beautiful view all the way throughout the loop
A great hike not very hard but very pretty. We did it in the spring so saw no water in “river” but still a pretty Trail
Nice trail with good views
March with Michael, took 70 minutes walking fast to get finished before sunset. Great panoramic views.
Great hike. This was our second time using this trail. We also added in the mountain viewpoint trail & was not disappointed although this part of the trail is steeper & a bit harder to navigate with some of the rock "steps". The view is worth it though. We stopped to catch our breath a few times.
Did this with two teens & a dachshund.
Great hike for me and my two small dogs. The views are incredible you forget you’re so close to the highway.
Very Easy and nice views!
Great hike! Trail is a little rocky.
This park is a 5 star because of the nature center and cave. The trail is very well marked and pretty easy. Saw a couple deer, heard quail and saw a wild pig. Great hike.
Definitely an easy difficulty. Take the free trail map in the welcome center if you want. I ran it at 10 am and I was the only soul around. It was 87 degrees so not too hot, I had a hat, sunglasses, and plenty of water and I was fine. View at the top is pretty decent, its just slightly more steep to get there. I definitely had my eyes peeled for snakes the whole time. Most of the trail was Rocky.
Jason B.
This was a nice dessert hike. The trail is fairly easy, but it was a bit warm and I think it was closer to moderate for the kids. There is an option to hike to a summit off the main loop, which I did by myself while others rested. I'd say that was moderate to difficult and not kid or dog friendly. Good hike overall. I could see doing it again if I was doing a caverns tour.
Pretty easy but scenic and enjoyable.
Anna B.
short trail but still a good workout
Thoroughly enjoyed this hike!! A great rock trail with some hill climbing and great vistas. Saw deer. Trekking poles were helpful. Wild flowers are just starting. Recommend.
Too rocky for my toddler. I carried her most of the way.
love the mountain top view
Nice Trail. Easier going clockwise I believe. Good views!
Enjoyable loop with enough up-and-down to get the muscles working. The view from the Mountaintop View spur is terrific, and well-worth the detour. I hiked the loop from the campground in a clockwise direction, and covered the loop with spur, plus a few stops for photos, in two hours.
There are numerous rest stops along the trail, with benches placed for convenient breaks. Metal plates with numbers are near most of these, and I think they may correspond to a self-guided tour. A short distance from the Visitor Center is a location with a couple of "bedrock mortars," left over from when the native people of the region ground local plants into flour at the location.
Nice hike, ended with the cavern tour--take it!
Loved it! Quick 2.5 mile hike before we headed to the airport in Tucson, AZ to fly home. Gorgeous, clear 75 degree day with the most amazing panoramic views!
Very fun hiking in and out of the Guindani Wash! So much fun for kids to just get a little dirty.