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| Ernie's Falls |
After heavy rainfall or snowmelt, several other waterfalls can be seen from the water flowing down the Rincon Mountain. Bridal Wreath Falls is the more popular end point for hikers, and it’s well worth the 5.6-mile round trip.
To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 10 in Tucson take East Speedway Boulevard east. Outside of town, the road dead ends at the trailhead. As the trail is easy to access, the parking lot fills up fast, so you may need to park on the road’s wide shoulder as it approaches the trailhead. Though there’s no fee station, be sure to have your park pass, as rangers regularly patrol the area.
To get there, just stay left on the Douglas Spring Trail until you see the trail marker telling you to turn right for the falls. As you hike, you’ll enjoy the flat, grassy and bushy land all around you, and after crossing three dry washes, you’ll reach a four-way intersection by the site of Aguila Corral. Take a right/southwest from there, and you’ll be just a stone’s throw from the awe-inspiring Bridal Wreath Falls.
Although the waterfall is seasonal, it’s still worth the 0.6-mile round-trip hike to see this small gem tucked away in a quaint wooded canyon.
The Ernie’s Falls Trail is a 1.1-mile (one-way) stretch that takes you from a four-way intersection up north to the park boundary. What makes Ernie’s Falls Trail so unique is its diverse range of plant and animal life. As you wander through the trail’s initially level terrain, you’ll encounter saguaro, prickly pear, mesquite and agave.
Keep your eyes peeled for the various types of cacti like pin cushion and cholla, as well as bobcat, deer, lizards, and snakes. And with the abundance of flowers in monsoon season, you may even catch a glimpse of some busy bees.
But the real star of the show is the rock outcropping where the waterfall can be seen – a breathtaking sight to behold when the water is running.
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