Because Madera Canyon was so close to our home in Tucson we never had the opportunity to camp within the canyon. However, we did drive through the Bog Springs Campground on at least one occasion and it seemed to be shady and open, although most of the sites were on a long slope.

There are many miles of trails that are accessible from the canyon and it is a popular hiking area. Of the several times that we hiked the trails within Madera Canyon we always met a good number of hikers all along our course.

There are two main parking areas near the trailheads, with pit toilet type restrooms, and picnic tables. The main trails up into the Santa Rita Mountains (Super Trail, Old Baldy Trail, and Vault Mine Trail) all begin in the upper parking areas at about 5,400 feet in elevation.

Old Baldy Trail / Super Trail Loop

In Madera Canyon we tended to hike the trails backward. We preferred to climb the steeper, shorter (2.5 miles) Old Baldy Trail up to Josephine Saddle (at 7,600 feet) and it's junction with the Agua Caliente Trail rather than the longer (3.7 miles), more gradual Super Trail, which was our preferred descent route.

In the Josephine Saddle area there is plenty of shade and places to sit and relax before heading on in one of several different directions, or heading on back down. On one of our visits we found a tree in that area covered with what might have been millions of Lady Bugs. They were so thick that the entire tree looked to be a rust-orange color. We haven't researched the phenomena, and that is the only time we've seen anything like this.

There is also a flowing spring (from a pipe into a trough) near the top of the Super Trail, just below the saddle.

The Old Baldy Trail is steep, narrow, and rocky, but it is mostly shady. I remember it feeling humid under the canopy of trees.

The Super Trail is more gradual, has a more even surface, and is wide enough in many areas for two hikers to walk abreast. It is shady in some areas, but I remember it as exposed in others.