Sunset Vista Trail is a 5.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Picacho, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, nature trips, and bird watching and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Picacho Peak State Park charges an entrance fee of $7/vehicle. Visitors entering on foot or bicycle are $3. This hike contains a cable climb approximately 2 miles into the route. Please keep this in mind if you are bringing your pet.
Easy access from I-10, about 40 miles north of Tucson. Look for signs to Picacho Peak State Park. There is a moderate admission fee for day-use.
I’m from out of state and not familiar with the area and it was easy to find. The state park cost $7 to get into and has a decent amount of parking spots. I went on April 7th and had some fantastic weather only in the low 90’s. There is not much shaded spots on the trail. It was a fun and challenging hike. My Apple Watch said 6.33 miles and 1,986ft in gain, which took me 2 hours and 31 minutes of hiking time. I veered off course slightly which added some distance. Only saw a few other people on the trail and would recommend the drive to location!
Really well done trails. STEEP, narrow and scary... But well worth the effort. Take plenty of H2O
Awesome! Wish we didn’t have time constraints. Lots of saguaro and views non stop. Too hot for dogs unless you go at dawn.
Very unique trail - a lot of fun! The cables are super sturdy, but gloves are definitely very helpful. If you have any rock climbing ability, the cables are not necessary. There’s good footing and holds the whole way up. Amazing views from the top !
Great hike. Left our campsite first thing in the morning and walked over to Sunset Vista TH to start the hike. Half way thru I decided I didn't want to do the out and back. Decided at some point to go over the saddle and drop down Hunter. Great hike but plan accordingly. Views to die for on the Sunset side.
Watch your step, it’s a rocky tough trail and if you make a misstep you may not have a chance to do it again. But it’s worth it !
Most rewarding hike I’ve ever done! I’m a beginner so this was a challenging one for me. There’s no shade, so if you’re planning on going all the way to the top I recommend bringing LOTS of water. I didn’t think that gloves were necessary because the cables were grippy enough as is, but maybe on a hot day they would be nice.
Such a fun hike! Just make sure to bring enough water, especially as it’s getting hotter in town!
A challenge for me but good. I should of went much earlier. Getting too hot already.