Picacho, Arizona

Drive about 30 minutes west on I-10 from Tucson, AZ to the Picacho Peak Rd. Exit and follow the signs south to the park entrance. The campgrounds are about a half mile inside the main gate to the right.You can either make a reservation at Pichacho Peak State Park or arrive the day of and pay. Eve...

If Arizona is lucky enough to have a rainy winter, we will most certainly have a beautiful bloom come spring.  One of the best places to see the beautiful golden blooms is on a hike in Picacho Peak State Park. Blooming season typically begins in mid/late February.  Length depends on temperature –...

If you've ever done the drive on highway10 from Phoenix to Tucson, you've definitely noticed an intriguing looking mountain peak about an hour into the drive. It broadly rises from the earth and tapers off into a point at the top, appearing like an illustration straight out of a Dr. Seuss boo...

No one really knows why the people from the Sonoran Desert built this mud skyscraper. Some scientists believe it was built as a astronomical observatory. What ever the reason, the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is a engineering marvel that was built in the 1300's. People have been so puzzled...

A popular trail in the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park, Signal Hill is a highlight of the park with a small summit to a boulder field with many petroglyphs and views for several miles.  The petroglyphs date to the 13th and 14th centuries and were created by the Hohokam people.  ...

This trail is a moderately-rated hike. It is used for a variety of activities including hiking, mountain biking, running, and walking. To access the trail, it is important to note that there is a $7 cash parking fee, so be prepared! The beginning of the trail is the most challenging part as it ...

The Valley View Overlook Trail is located in the Tucson Mountain District (which west of Tucson) of Saguaro National Park. The access to this trail is about 3 miles north from the Red Hills Visitor Center.  From the visitor center travel 1.5 miles north on N. Kinney Road, then take a right on Hoh...

Named for a Native American police chief, the Hugh Norris trail takes you from lush (by desert standards) Saguaro and cholla forests to the top of rugged Wasson Peak.  On top of the peak, you'll have sweeping views of the city of Tucson, as well as the surrounding mountain ranges.  Depending on y...

This hike starts at the King Canyon Trailhead. You'll follow the King Canyon Trail along the wash then down into the wash near the picnic area. You won't be in the wash for long before the trail will turn off to the right out of the wash. This trail is very well signed. You'll continue along King...

I really enjoyed this hike. I recommend doing the hike as an out and back from the Kinney Road parking area. Also, the best time to hike is just before sunset. The hike is just over 4 miles total out and back with only about 500 feet of elevation gain. It has a climb at the beginning then rolls a...

The Canyon Loop trail is an easy hike through the foothills that begins and ends at the Trailhead parking lot. (End of the road when you enter Catalina State Park from Oracle Rd - entrance fee required)  The loop is relatively flat, although starts with a short uphill burst before leveling off. ...

To enter the Catalina State Park costs $7 per vehicle with up to four adults. You then drive to the trailhead parking lot. There will be a restroom and a very small shop there. From the trailhead, you almost immediately crosse Sutherland Wash, which flows seasonally. The first 1.1 miles is relati...

From the parking lot you will start out on the Arizona Trail until you reach the turn off to begin your accent up the mountain.  This part of the trail isn't well maintained, and is a scramble, so be ready to use those hands.  The trail is marked with cairns though and there is enough traffic tha...

The Tucson Mountains are home to Saguaro National Park and the Tucson Mountain Park, the latter of which is a massive 20,000 acre park that is home to huge forests of giant saguaro cacti, a wide diversity of desert wildlife, and several long-abandoned farms and ranches like the Bowen Homestead, c...

Tumamoc Hill is urban adventuring at it's finest. Park on Anklam Road, directly across from St Mary's Hospital, and follow the other hikers and runners to the trailhead.Tumamoc Hill is a one-lane paved road, trafficked infrequently by University of Arizona employees who work on the Hill's ecology...

In 1910 a group of University of Arizona students took local basalt rock and constructed a 160' block "A" on the east face of Sentinel Peak overlooking Tucson, giving the prominent peak its most commonly known name. Now the area is part of the 272 acre Sentinel Peak Park, and features a great net...