Until mid-December, the Aspen Trail at Marshall Gulch is closed Monday through Thursday. A Coronado National Forest closure order covers the whole Marshall Gulch area during reconstruction. It took effect at 5 a.m. on July 31, 2026, and runs through 11:59 p.m. on December 17, 2026, unless it is lifted earlier. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, hikers can use Aspen Trail #93, Marshall Gulch Trail #3, and Sunset Trail #90. The rest of the week, the entire area is closed. Federal holidays that fall on a weekday are less clear, as explained below.
That changes the usual October plan. Most fall color advice says to go on a weekday and skip the crowds. One of this season's Mount Lemmon foliage guides lists Marshall Gulch and the Aspen Trail as top viewing spots and says "quiet weekdays are glorious" in late October. Both tips hold up this year, just not together. The best-known aspen walk is now a weekend hike, and the quiet weekday color is on other trails.
What the Construction Is Building
The Forest Service calls Marshall Gulch Picnic Area and Trailhead one of the most popular sites in the Coronado National Forest. It gets about 160,000 visitors a year and is the main trailhead for the Marshall Gulch, Sunset, and Aspen trails.
The Marshall Gulch Picnic Area and Trailhead Improvement Project replaces the old one-way, dead-end parking with a loop road. The work includes two bridges over Sabino Creek built for a 100-year flood, a new restroom, new asphalt, new picnic sites, and restoration along Sabino Creek and Marshall Gulch. When it's done, the site will hold 32 vehicles, up from 30.
So the rebuild mainly fixes traffic flow, not capacity. The bigger parking change happened earlier this year in Summerhaven.
The Parking Moved Into Town
Pima County finished a new parking project in Summerhaven this summer and announced it on June 30, 2026. It added a 75-space paved lot and 21 more spaces along Sabino Canyon Park Road. The county's Transportation Department built it with the Federal Highway Administration and Coronado National Forest. The project also repaved about half a mile of road and added an Arizona Trail information kiosk and a five-foot-wide path for the trail's bypass route.
By the county's count, that's 96 new spaces in town, compared with two extra at Marshall Gulch. Parking at the trailhead itself stays closed until December 15. The Arizona Trail Association sends hikers to the new Summerhaven lot instead. The closure starts at the Marshall Gulch seasonal gate, 0.7 miles south of the Summerhaven Post Office on Forest Road 10.
That means a short walk to start. A local hiking group that used the lot in September counted about 0.75 mile each way from the lot to the trailhead, which added 1.5 miles to its outing. Stairs at the south end of the lot lead down to the road toward Marshall Gulch. The picnic tables and restrooms at Marshall Gulch will stay closed until the project is finished. Use the restrooms in Summerhaven before you walk out.
How the Week Breaks Down
With the Marshall Gulch closure and Mount Lemmon Ski Valley's hours combined, each day of the week offers something different.
| Day | Marshall Gulch, Aspen and Sunset trails | Ski Valley Sky Ride |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Closed; Columbus Day, Oct. 12, unconfirmed | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Tuesday | Closed | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed | Closed |
| Thursday | Closed | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Friday | Open to pedestrians | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Saturday | Open to pedestrians | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Sunday | Open to pedestrians | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Ski Valley says Sky Ride start times can vary. Tickets are sold only at the resort, with no online sales. Adults pay $17. Seniors 65 and up, military, and youth 13 to 17 pay $14. Children 4 to 12 pay $12, and children 3 and under ride free. Each chair holds no more than two people, and that includes babies. Ski Valley's main page also warns that the Gift and Fudge Shop may be closed because of staffing shortages.
Tuesday and Wednesday are the slowest days on the mountain this fall. Both Marshall Gulch and Ski Valley are closed those days.
Where the Midweek Aspens Are
Two trails outside the closure lead into aspen groves, and neither requires a weekend.
- Mint Springs Trail #20. The Forest Service lists it as open year-round. It climbs 1.6 miles one way through an aspen grove. The trailhead is on paved E Carter Canyon Road, two miles past Summerhaven, with free paved parking. It's also the Arizona Trail's official detour around the construction, linking Carter Canyon Road to Marshall Saddle. See the Mint Springs trailhead page.
- Aspen Draw Trail #423. It starts at Ski Valley and climbs 1.9 miles one way. The Forest Service lists it as open year-round. That listing was last updated in November 2025, so check conditions before you go. The Ski Valley area has dense aspen groves at about 8,200 feet, and the chairlift area is popular with photographers.
- Mount Lemmon Day Use Area. The Forest Service marked it "Site Open" in August and describes mixed conifer and aspen forest with views.
- Bear Wallow. This area past mile marker 22 on the Catalina Highway is known for its maples and is easy to explore on foot. A separate Forest Service order through September 2028 bans camping, off-road driving, improper parking, and fires there. It does not ban walking in.
Mint Springs and Aspen Draw are both uphill and a bit longer than the old walk-up from the Marshall Gulch lot. On a Tuesday, though, they're the aspen hikes you can actually do.
The Weekend Everything Lands On
The two main 2026 color forecasts differ by about a week. One expects the first gold near the summit and Ski Valley in late September, a mountain-wide peak in mid-October, and color moving down toward Summerhaven in late October and early November. The other says color usually starts in early to mid-October, with the most reliable viewing from mid-October through early November and often the best in late October. Both describe typical years, not reports from this week.
The 51st Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley Oktoberfest has two weekends left, October 3–4 and October 10–11. The band plays noon to 4:30 both days, with kids' games during breaks starting around 12:45. Parking in the Ski Valley lot costs $10, and shuttle parking is free.
The weekend of October 10–11 brings together the last Oktoberfest, the start of the forecast peak, and two of the three weekly days when Marshall Gulch is open. Expect Summerhaven and Ski Valley parking to fill fast. The forecast's advice to be on the highway before 9 a.m. matters most that weekend.
Monday, October 12, is less clear. It's Columbus Day, a federal holiday. The Forest Service alert summary and the Arizona Trail Association both say the trails open on federal holidays. The signed closure order lists only Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for hikers. Before planning a holiday hike at Marshall Gulch, call the Santa Catalina Ranger District at Sabino Canyon, (520) 749-8700. Mint Springs is not affected either way.
The Rest of the Day in Summerhaven
Since weekend hikers now start and finish in town, lunch fits naturally into the plan. Sawmill Run Restaurant has a fall 2026 menu with an Autumn Burger, Sawmill Poutine, seasonal pies, and new fall cocktails. Mt. Lemmon Cookie Cabin remains a common stop on the drive. Mount Lemmon Lodge's October calendar lists Jessiah van Dongen on October 3, the same night as a Saturn and deep-sky stargazing event. Peter Kron plays October 10, Grand Dorado October 11, Donnybrook Trio October 18, and The Bouncing Czechs October 25.
A few practical updates for the season:
- Water. The Mount Lemmon Domestic Water Improvement District ended mandatory Stage 3 curtailment on September 4 and now lists Normal Operations / Stage 1.
- Camping. Rose Canyon Campground is open with 73 sites. The operator may close it at any point in October. Its listed 2026 peak season ends October 24.
- Fire. Coronado National Forest has no fire restrictions in place but rates fire danger as "Very High."
- Road. For current Catalina Highway conditions, the Forest Service refers drivers to the Pima County Sheriff's road line, 520-351-3351.
The latest posted version of the Marshall Gulch alert was updated August 1, and no later schedule change has been announced. Before you leave, check the Coronado National Forest alerts page for any update to the schedule.
The new Marshall Gulch, with its loop road and Sabino Creek bridges, is expected to be finished by December 2026. Nancy Mancuso has spent more than four decades on this mountain and in the communities below it, and she's always happy to compare notes on a favorite trail or a good mountain-view property. Let's connect at Nancy Mancuso.
