With temperatures on the rise, dog owners might be tempted to spend more time outdoors with their four-legged friends. But before venturing far, they'll need to scout out dog-friendly trails, as many Foothills-area trails popular with humans are off-limits to canines.
The entire Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, for example, is closed to dogs, as are the Ventana Canyon, Pima Canyon and Finger Rock trails and all other trails on the front range of the Santa Catalina Mountains leading into the Pusch Ridge Wilderness, said Heidi Schewel, media officer for the Coronado National Forest.
Sabino Canyon has been a no-dog zone since the 1970s, Schewel said. That's when the state's Department of Environmental Quality discovered canine fecal bacteria in the canyon's waters and deemed it a health hazard to have dogs in the area.
The Pusch Ridge Wilderness was closed to dogs in 1996 as a measure to protect a declining bighorn sheep population, Schewel said.
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"Bighorn sheep are very fearful of dogs," she said.
"We knew through our work jointly with the Arizona Game and Fish Department that the bighorn-sheep population in the Santa Catalina Mountains, specifically in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness, was declining, and research was done into how we could manage the habitat to make it more hospitable to them."
Frustrating to dog owners
The hiking-trail restrictions are frustrating to some dog owners who'd like to exercise their pets in nature without traveling too far from home.
Foothills resident Gail Leiken, 67, said she has fond memories of hiking the Pontatoc Ridge, Ventana Canyon and Finger Rock trails with her two golden retrievers years ago, before signs banning dogs began to appear.
Now the owner of a German shepherd, Leiken said she has to drive to Catalina or Mount Lemmon to find suitable dog-friendly hiking areas.
Instead, she often opts for walks around her neighborhood, which just aren't the same, she says.
"Walking in the neighborhood is not nearly as fun as it is to go out in nature and really take a hike," she said. "Before, it was one of my greatest joys to hike, and now I don't do it as much because I can't take my dog."
Tucsonan Brett Cook, who belongs to the Canine Hiking Club of Arizona, said he is also frustrated by the lack of dog-friendly trails.
Cook, 48, is a founding member of the Arizona Trail-dog Owners Coalition, which he said has gained about 20 members since starting in November.
Cook said the coalition hopes to have a voice in land-management decisions — at the local, state and federal levels — that would impact access for dogs. The group will work to protect hiking trails open to dogs and push for fewer restrictions on trails where dogs are banned, he said.
"Right now, there are very few trails, so people who have dogs, that obey the law, get funneled into those few trails, and that raises the issue of overuse and increases the chance of having a bad encounter involving dogs," Cook said.
Rillito River Park Trail
While dog-friendly hiking trails in the immediate Foothills area may be limited, many dog owners take advantage of the Rillito River Park Trail when exercising their pets.
Thom McKinney, owner of Dog Day Adventures — a Foothills-based business that takes groups of dogs on outings — frequently uses the trail.
"For a lot of people in the Foothills, the river walkways are wonderful walking opportunities for your dog. We're really lucky to have that," he said.
McKinney, 50, said he also takes dogs into the dry Rillito riverbed and suggests dog owners looking for unpaved, more natural terrain for their walks use the riverbed, smaller washes or neighborhood common areas that aren't marked private property or off-limits to dogs.
No matter where people walk their dogs outside their property, the law requires they be kept on a leash.
Following leash laws in natural desert areas is especially important for a dog's safety, as well as the safety of wildlife around it, said Aninna Thornburg, information education program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Keeping dogs leashed not only prevents them from getting separated from their owners and chasing after prey, such as rabbits, it can also keep them from having a run-in with an animal higher on the food chain, such as a mountain lion, Thornburg said.
Many desert critters, including rattlesnakes and javelina, perceive dogs as threats and might lash out with sharp teeth or a venomous, potentially deadly bite at a wayward pooch, Thornburg said.
"The biggest thing is just keeping them on a leash and keeping them close so you can monitor what they're doing at all times," she said.
Mount Lemmon dog trails
McKinney said he often takes groups of dogs to Mount Lemmon, especially during the summer to escape the heat.
For those willing to make the drive, several trails on Mount Lemmon are open, at least partially, to dogs, Schewel said. Those include Butterfly Trail, Green Mountain Trail, Aspen Trail and others.
Pima County's off-leash dog parks are another resource for dog owners, although McKinney recommends taking dogs for a brisk walk prior to visiting the park so they can burn off excess energy before interacting with other animals.
Morris K. Udall Park, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road, and Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, 3482 E. River Road, both have off-leash dog parks, divided into areas for larger and smaller dogs.
Find out more
• For more information on hiking trails in the Santa Catalina Mountains, visit the Web site www.fs.fed.us/r3/ coronado.
• For more information about the Arizona Trail-dog Owners Coalition, go online to www.groups.yahoo.com/group/aztoc or call 877-8983.
