The best holiday guest plan in Dove Mountain fits on one road. Wild Burro Trailhead sits at 14810 North Secret Springs Drive. The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain is at 15000 North Secret Springs Drive. One driveway leads to a public trail system in the Tortolita Mountains, and the other leads to a lobby with a life-size 4x4 made of gingerbread.
This season the two calendars line up, so they work as one outing. The trail side's events start at 8 a.m. on Saturdays. The resort's Thanksgiving weekend runs from late morning into a 7 p.m. campfire. A host in Dove Mountain can spend the morning in a canyon, eat a late Thanksgiving brunch, and end the day with s'mores without getting back on Tangerine Road.
The Larger Half of the Road Is the Public Half
The resort is the better-known address, but the trailhead opens onto the bigger property. The Town of Marana's trails page describes 29 miles of trail leading northeast from the Dove Mountain trailhead into Wild Burro Canyon. From there they connect to routes along the crest above Cochie Canyon and into the country to the north and east.
Those trails cross easements on a patchwork of private, town, county and state land. Construction began in 2004 as a joint project of the Town of Marana, Pima County and the Arizona State Land Department, and the Town says expansion continues today. The northern and eastern ends of the system enter Pima County's 3,100-acre Tortolita Mountain Park. To the south, Marana's 2,400-acre Tortolita Preserve adds nine more miles of trail. The Dove Mountain Community Trail along Dove Mountain Boulevard adds another seven.
The trailhead also suits a group with mixed plans for the day. Discover Marana lists ample parking, a shaded ramada and flush toilets there. Guests who want a short walk and guests who want a long canyon day can start from the same lot.
Matching the Loop to the Guest
The Town grades its Tortolita routes from A to D by distance and elevation gain, with A for the longest days on the trail. Three routes from the Wild Burro side cover most visiting families:
| Route from Wild Burro Trailhead | Town level | Distance and climb | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Javelina Loop | C | 5.1 miles, 370 feet | Drops back down to cross Wild Burro Wash before returning on the Wild Burro Trail |
| Wild Burro Canyon Trail to Alamo Spring | B- | 7.2 miles round trip, 795 feet | Runs next to the wash, then through it to an old stone line shack, then up to Alamo Spring |
| Loop around the rims of Wild Burro Canyon | A | 12.0 miles, 1,330 feet | Links the Wild Burro, Upper Javelina, Wild Mustang and Alamo Spring trails in one circuit |
Per mile, the gap between the first two is wider than the distances suggest. Lower Javelina climbs about 73 feet per mile. The Alamo Spring out-and-back climbs about 110 feet per mile, roughly half again as much, and part of it runs along a wash bed. For relatives who arrived the night before from somewhere near sea level, Lower Javelina is the considerate choice. The rim loop is a full day for the strongest hiker in the house, and it climbs more than three and a half times as much as Lower Javelina.
What the Canyon Holds
Anyone visiting the Sonoran Desert expects saguaros, and these trails have them. What surprises guests is how much ranch history sits along the wash. Discover Marana's Tortolita hiking guide describes the Wild Burro route following the wash past old homestead ruins before climbing to Alamo Spring. Along the way it notes mortar holes, giant saguaros, and the windmill, watering trough and ruins at Goat Corral. The Town's own route description adds the old stone line shack partway up the canyon.
That gives a guest hike something to talk about. The mortar holes and the line shack show that people lived and worked in this canyon long before the resort, and they make good markers to point out on the way to the spring. A family heading out on their own will find the Town's Tortolita Mountains trail map useful for keeping the junctions straight.
Saturdays With a Naturalist
Hosts who would rather not lead the hike themselves can let someone else do it. The Town of Marana's Natural Resources team and the Pima County Chapter of Arizona Master Naturalists run guided hikes in the Tortolitas. Hikers walk established trails while the guides talk about the area's features and wildlife. Two dates remain this year:
- Saturday, November 21, 2026, 8 to 11 a.m., Wild Burro Trailhead
- Saturday, December 19, 2026, 8 to 11 a.m., Wild Burro Trailhead
The Town lists the hikes as free. Registration goes through the link on the event page, and hikers under 16 must be registered with a responsible adult. The November date is the Saturday before Thanksgiving, which works well for guests who arrive early for the holiday week. The December date is the Saturday before Christmas week.
Thanksgiving Week on One Road
This is where the two schedules come together. The Ritz-Carlton's holiday calendar, as the resort's event listings and holiday page present it, fills Thanksgiving weekend at the far end of the road. Most of its events start late enough to follow a morning on the trail.
- Thursday, November 26, from 8 to 11 a.m.: Thanksgiving breakfast at CORE, A Sonoran Grill, with a buffet, made-to-order omelets and seasonal pastries. The breakfast continues daily through December 6 at à la carte pricing.
- Thanksgiving Day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Thanksgiving brunch at Cayton's Restaurant, with roast turkey, a seafood raw bar and seasonal sweets. A Lower Javelina loop in the morning still leaves time for the brunch window.
- Thursday, November 26, from 6 to 9:30 p.m.: Thanksgiving dinner at CORE, with confit roast turkey, aged Sonoran beef and desserts, priced à la carte.
- November 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Sugar-cookie decorating with cookies shaped like cactuses and desert animals.
- November 28 and 29, from 7 to 9 p.m.: Fireside s'mores and spiced apple cider around a wood-burning campfire, by reservation.
The Life-Size Gingerbread 4x4 and Cacti Candy Wonderland fills the resort lobby for the rest of the season. It is a full-size 4x4 covered in gingerbread, chocolate, icing and candy, with a garden of candy cactuses around it. The resort's event listing describes it debuting November 28 and staying up into late December. Before bringing a group that is not staying at the hotel, call the resort to confirm reservations and access.
The order works well for the weekend after Thanksgiving. Confirm the dates when you book, then start at the trailhead in the cool morning, decorate cookies before 2 p.m., walk the lobby to see the 4x4, and end at the campfire after dark. The longest drive of the day is the one up Secret Springs Drive.
December Keeps the Same Shape
The plan still works after Thanksgiving. On Saturday, December 5, the Town of Marana holds its Holiday Festival & Tree Lighting from 2 to 9 p.m. at the Ed Honea Marana Municipal Complex, 11555 West Civic Center Drive. The tree-lighting shows are at 6 and 8:30 p.m.. That evening could follow a morning on the Lower Javelina Loop just as easily as the resort's campfire did.
On Wednesday, December 16, the Town's Trail Crew volunteers meet at Wild Burro Trailhead to clear trails and repair erosion. Three days later the final guided hike of the year leaves from the same trailhead. For residents with guests staying through the week before Christmas, those two dates on the trail side, plus the gingerbread 4x4 in the lobby, give the week a few fixed points at the end of Secret Springs Drive.
If your guests leave wondering what the Tortolitas look like the rest of the year, I'm always glad to talk about the canyons, trailheads and quiet corners around Dove Mountain. Nancy Mancuso is here when you'd like that conversation. Let's Connect.
