Marshall Gulch To Aspen Loop

Starting from the Marshall Gulch Picnic Area, head up the singletrack path just to the right (north) of the bathrooms. Watch out for some poison ivy near the trailhead. There is a creek nearby, and, depending upon the time of year, you'll have a few wet areas to navigate. While it gains over 500 feet in just over a mile and a quarter, it's never steep in any one spot, so it's a comfortable climb to Marshall Saddle.From the saddle, take a left (south) on Lower Aspen Trail #93. Continue hiking uphill (more than you might have guessed) through pine forests. Pass over a ridge with great views over Tucson before starting your descent down to the trailhead. Finally, you enter an aspen forest with a high density of very small aspen trees. The trail gets quite steep here, but it ends fairly quickly.