Camping will be barred and parking restricted at Tanque Verde Falls in Redington Pass starting Monday, April 29, until June 15 during construction of three new parking areas to improve access.
There will be temporary closures of existing parking lots during the work.
Redington Road will remain open during construction, but delays are expected, and visitors are asked to use caution when in the area,” Coronado National Forest officials said in a news release Friday.
The canyon with waterfalls, in a pass between the Santa Catalina and Rincon mountains on the Tucson area’s far northeast side, “has long been a popular area offering hiking, equestrian use, wildlife viewing, motorized recreation, and other opportunities” close to the city, they noted.
“This project aims to improve the recreation experience for visitors, increase public safety, and reduce environmental degradation.”
Proposed through Friends of Redington Pass, the project is using money from the Great American Outdoors Act enacted in 2020 for maintenance and protection of public lands, the news release said.
“The Forest Service and our partners have wanted to improve Tanque Verde Falls for over 40 years. We have been collaborating directly with partners for nearly 10 years. Due to limited work capacity, funding, and other Forest priorities, Tanque Verde Falls has not been improved as planned,” Santa Catalina District Ranger Don DelMastro said in the release. “We are excited to share that this will all be changing.”
Highlights, scheduled for completion in April, May, and June, include:
Construction of three new parking areas in the lower, middle, and upper parking lots to reduce congestion and improve safety.
Improvement and adoption of some existing trails.
Construction of a more beginner-friendly trail that brings recreationists to a scenic viewpoint of the largest waterfall in Tanque Verde Canyon. “The trail will provide a safe viewing location, especially during periods of potentially dangerous flash flooding.”
(More than 30 people have died at the site in falls from steep rocks or by drowning after being swept away by fast-flowing water, and many others have needed rescues there, the Arizona Daily Star reported in 2015.)
Rehabilitation of natural desert areas affected by unmanaged recreation.
Dispersed camping will be permanently closed between the forest boundary at mile marker 3 to mile marker 4.6 on Redington Pass Road.
The improvement project began in 2023 with construction of trails connecting the three planned trailheads. It will be completed later this year “with the construction of family-friendly facilities, including a vault restroom, trash bin, and shade structures with picnic tables.”
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