P - also to answer the last part of the question - if you venture into the canyon to hike on their trails, the USFS basically says you are on your own. They have more issues with people getting off trail and lost, people tripping and falling and breaking something, and people who hike on warm days without bringing enough water. They can't watch everybody all the time. It seems like once a week, beginning at this time of year when we get a lot of visitors, the local rescue teams have to go into the mountains and rescue somebody, and often carry them down.
Per Google : The primary rescue teams for hikers in Madera Canyon are led by the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, relying heavily on volunteer organizations like the Southern Arizona Rescue Association (SARA), Southern Arizona Mounted Search and Rescue (SAMSAR), and local fire departments like Green Valley Fire, with support from U.S. Forest Service personnel. These teams coordinate, often using horses for difficult terrain (SAMSAR) and specialized fire/SAR units for medical/technical rescues, with SARA providing invaluable volunteer support and logistics.
NO - the US Forest Service has not closed the trails for weather (to my knowledge). They have closed the trails when they have tracked an animal like a bear who may have attacked a human. And they have closed the lower roads leading to the higher parking lot when it snowed and the road became icy. The county has also closed some of the lower roads outside the national forest boundaries if there was flooding during/after a monsoon rain.
Jim
Does the park service close the trails to the peaks when it snows or when the weather gets rough to help protect those that might not understand the dangers, like me…. Paul
