Rillito River Park Trail: A scenic path connecting parks across north Tucson

My family and I moved to Tucson in July 2022 after living abroad for over eight years. A few months later we bought a house in the southern part of the Casas Adobes neighborhood. We loved the house and the quiet neighborhood. But what we didn't realize was that one of the biggest assets would be the proximity to Rillito River Park Trail.

As someone who puts in between three and four miles a day running, I need an interesting and safe place to get my miles. My first few runs were aimless — just hitting the pavement and seeing where my legs took me. But I quickly realized that I could cross River Road and pick up the well-trafficked and clean concourse along the north bank of the Rillito River.

I found my new favorite run, and since then I've made dozens of trips along my little section of the Rillito River Park Trail.

In this article I'll share my experience on the trail along with some information about the rest of it and what you can find along the various sections of the trail.

What is the Rillito River Park Trail?

The Rillito River Park Trail is a park in Tucson, Arizona, that spans the length of the Rillito River from Interstate 10 in the west to Craycroft Road in the east. It's maintained by Pima County.

The trail is paved with asphalt on the north and south banks of the Rillito River in all but two sections: between Country Club Road and Dodge Avenue and between Oracle Road and Stone Avenue. At Country Club and Dodge, the south bank trail joins with the north bank trail, forcing south-side travelers to cross the river to the north bank. At Oracle and Stone, the Tucson Mall has blocked a planned expansion of the path on the south bank, requiring travelers to either continue their journey along a busy road (Tucson Mall Drive) or cross the bridges to the other side.

According to AllTrails, the Rillito River Path is 23.4 miles in total when you include the trails on both sides of the river. But different sources cite different lengths. Suffice to say that the trail is roughly 12 miles in each direction.

Where is the Rillito River Park Trail?

The Rillito River Park Trail is right where you'd expect: along the Rillito River.

There are multiple access points along the length of the trail, including at nine parks:

• Dan Felix Memorial Park
• Kory Laos Memorial Freestyle BMX Park
• Flowing Wells Park
• Curtis Park
• Children's Memorial Park
• Rillito Regional Park and Rillito Racetrack
• Boa Vista Park
• Brandi Fenton Memorial Park
• George Mehl Family Foothills Park

Each of these parks has parking available. There are additional parking lots at Thornydale just south of Orange Grove, at Camino de la Tierra south of the river, at La Cañada on the northwest corner with River Road, at Campbell south of the river and at Swan on the north and south sides of the river.

What to see and do along the Rillito River Park Trail

There are many reasons to visit Rillito River Park. Here are a few:

The trail

The main attraction of the Rillito River Park Trail is the trail itself, which can be used for walking, jogging, bicycling and horseback riding. Motorized vehicles are not permitted on the trail, but I often see electric bikes on the path.

Signs communicate that the right of way prioritizes pedestrians, then horses, followed by bicycles. Bikes are supposed to yield to other traffic, but I highly recommend staying alert if you're on foot because the bicyclists often travel very quickly. I always check my back when merging onto the path.

The parks

Apart from walking or biking the trail, there are the many parks listed above to visit. The one nearest my house is the Children's Memorial Park, which is named as a tribute by parents to their deceased children. There's a wall with the names of kids who have died and a statue in the corner of the park. It's a moving memorial, especially in proximity to the playground and other facilities for kids where my own children have come to play.

This is an awesome park. There's a ballfield where I often see dads coaching their little league team on weekday afternoons. There's a basketball court, a large playground, bathroom facilities, a pavilion and plenty of grass and shade trees, which are nice to have in the desert. I've seen groups gathering for sunset yoga and people from the nearby neighborhood stopping in to walk their dogs.

Exercise equipment

The section of the trail I run is from La Cholla to Oracle, and here the trail passes underneath the La Cañada bridge. There's also a piece of public art called the Sun Circle, which isn't very elaborate but is interesting to look at. There are plenty of benches along the way and even some exercise equipment. I always stop at the pull-up bars and dip bars (pictured below). Since I don't have any weights at home or a gym membership, this free equipment has been a huge benefit to me.

I can't say I've used the sit up bench. I've never seen anyone using it either except one time a guitarist was sitting on it strumming and singing.

The view

One of the best things about the Rillito River Park Trail is the view it offers from right in the city. You can see the Catalina Mountains (including the breathtaking Pusch Ridge) rising to the northeast and turn pink in the evening twilight. To the west you can see the Tucson Mountain Park. And along the way you can see the big sky over the Rillito River, which is usually dry but many days pulses with runoff from snowmelt or a rainstorm.

The Rillito River flows east to west and empties into the Santa Cruz River, which is a tributary to the Gila River, which ends up in the Colorado River. Prior to the mid-20th century, the Rillito River was always full. But overuse of the groundwater led to the river running dry most times of the year and eroding the banks significantly. Occasionally you can see people riding horses down the sandy river bed.

Conclusion

As you can see, I'm a big fan of the Rillito River Park Trail. Since I don't live in the urban core of Tucson, I don't get to enjoy many of the city's metropolitan assets. By joining the afternoon march of strollers, joggers and bikers along the river, I can feel like I'm a part of the community of my new city.

FAQ

Where does the Rillito River start and end?

The Rillito River starts at the confluence of Tanque Verde Creek and Pantano Wash in Pima County, Arizona, and flows from east to west across the northern boundary of the City of Tucson. It ends at the Santa Cruz River, which is 12.2 miles (19.6 km) away.

How long is the Tucson river walk?

The length of the Tucson river walk varies depending on which part of the river you are referring to. The Rillito River Park Trail, which runs along the Rillito River, is 21.8 miles long (though other sources say it's 23.4 miles). It's part of The Loop, a network of paths that includes the Rillito River Park Trail that's 131 miles long and connects several communities in the Tucson area.

How do you pronounce Rillito?

Rillito is a Spanish word that means "little river." It's pronounced like "ree-YEE-toe."