Best done *very* early in the morning before the heat and crowds hit. There are some very steep…read moresections, but the blacktop paving makes it doable. Don't bother with a map - once you are on the trail it is nearly impossible to get off-trail. Bring 2x the water you think you'll need. All that heavy breathing means you'll lose a lot of hydration through the lungs. It's an epic view at sunrise - too bad my ugly mug spoiled the photo!

Almost every time i am in Tucson, and have a couple of hours, I make a beeline for this short,…read moremoderate hike that is so rewarding! I love Tumamoc Hill, just such a gorgeous hike and a great short workout. The total distance of this in and out hike is 3 miles with about 700 feet elevation gain. Tonight, I partly ran up and down this trail and loved every minute of it! The views are so sick and I am mesmerized each time I am here. You will always see me grinning ear to ear when doing this hike. I have seen so much wildlife here, mule deers, all kinds of birds, saw hummingbirds tonight and all sorts of cacti species and many are blooming. And the views of mountains and clouds are just breathaking! So gorgeous!! Definitely come here for a bit of a nature buzz, your heart and mind will be so happy!

there are several great hikes here: 1. Up and down the tram…read moreroad - great if you want to walk on pavement 2. Phoneline - ride the tram to the top and hike down. Tough on the knees. 3. Blackett's Ridge: scenic shorter & steeper - good option if you ware limited on time. 4. Seven Falls: best waterfall in Southern AZ when there's water. Check before you hike as it's not a great hike if there's no falls. 5. Take the tram to the end and hike up and over to Hutch's Pool. Take the tram down. For the adventurous types. The tram is worth doing if you aren't going to hike up. You'll learn a lot from the headphone lecture. This is a must-see if you are visiting Tucson.

Back again, my Wife is going to do Phone Line Trail at the top of Sabino with 3 friends…read more Tough trail. i ll be back at 2 to pick her up. Starts at 0830. all good.

An amazing hike! Start early, bring gloves, lunch/snacks, and water!…read more My friends and I hiked to the peak via the Sunset trail, taking the loop back down the Hunter trail (7.1 mi). The first part of the hike is very easy, just out in the open. Though, once you start climbing you are climbing! The gardening gloves we brought helped us feel more secure, so that we didn't lose our grip. Honestly, the pictures made it look more scary than doing it, but if you are afraid of heights do take caution. The cables felt very secure and I felt safe the whole time. The top is very rewarding! There are a lot of bees though, so I wouldn't recommend hanging out there too long. We ended up having our lunch at on of the campsite benches in the shade at the end of the Hunter trail, which was very nice. The last part of the hike is walking on the road, but we didn't mind it after the steep and rocky decline. The bathrooms in the park are incredibly nice for a state park and there were also water bottle fillers. This was a great hike and the Park is also very well-maintained!

I checked out Picacho Peak State Park, not to be confused with Pikachu, on a Saturday afternoon…read more Located between Phoenix and Tuscon, Picacho was a hike unlike any I've done before. After arriving, you have to pay a $10 entrance fee per person to hike (a bit annoying for a state park but o well). You're given a pamphlet about the park and then it's time for what you came for. We did Hunter's Trail and there was a good amount of parking close to the start of the trail. It's a difficult trail on Alltrails and for good reason. There are parts of the hike where it's so narrow that only one person can go through at the time. There are other parts of the hike where there are steep inclines. And not only that. You'll have to climb using the cables that have been attached to the rock formations. Pro tip: bring gloves. That also means you have to be careful on the way down as you're going down on a decline. Which will be hard on your knees. It's all worth it though, because once you climb the mountain, you'll have breathtaking views of the park. And you'll be so high up that you can see both Tucson and Phoenix in the distance. All in all, if you go at a decent pace, the hike will take you 3-4 hours. There's at least one other trail. And you can also camp in the state park. Last but not least, there's a little museum in the visitor's center. And plenty of facilities. You'll get quite the workout!

Great 17 mile loop trial in Sabino Canyon in Tucson. Bear Canyon is located in the Sabino Canyon…read moreRecreation Area of the Coronado National Forest. The trail starts at the recreation center where either you can walk to the trailhead or take a shuttle for a fee. There is another smaller parking area off of Bear Canyon Road that you can access the trailhead from that isn't in the recreation area. Once parked, you follow an easy rocky wash to the recreation area. Accessing the trail from this parking lot makes the hike a little shorter. But finding a spot to park can be difficult because the lot only holds about 15 cars. Attractions you can visit in Bear Canyon are Seven Falls and Thimble Peak. The rest of this review is for the Seven Falls Trail portion of the Bear Canyon Loop Trail. This hike reminded me of the West Fork Trail in Northern AZ but with less shade. There is a restroom at the Bear Canyon overlook picnic area. The Seven Falls trail is 8 miles out-and-back and has seven water crossings along the way. I was able to walk across the rocks, but plan on getting your feet wet (or bring water shoes). There are lots of Saguaro and Prickly Pear Cactus along this rocky path. After the crossings, there is an incline and then downhill portion until you get to the base of the falls. The waterfall cascades down a rock face and is gorgeous. This hike is really popular and gets crowded during the middle of the day and weekends. I really enjoyed hiking it. The best way to enjoy this hike and avoid lots of people is to start early. And as always when you hike in Arizona, bring water and sunscreen.

I was in the area to hike Seven Falls which is a trail you can get off off Bear Canyon Trail. It…read moreis in in the Sabino Canyon Recreational Center and parking was $5 bucks. For Seven Falls you can start off right from the parking and work your way up to the fails or you can get tickets and a ride the tram up for 4 miles, if you take the tram, you are still hiking 8 miles so don't feel like you're not getting your distance in if that's your thing. I recommend doing the Seven Falls hike either in the early spring if the creeks aren't flowing to high or the fall, most of the hike is not shaded, but you do like 7 creek crossings and do get wet , so plan on wearing waterproof shoes. This was an Arizona bucket list hike for me so I really enjoyed it. The Seven Falls are worth it! Come early to get a parking spot . Distance (with tram ride) 8.2 Miles, but I am sure the .2 depends on where you park, elevation gain about 900ft, difficulty moderate, you don't have to scale rocks or scramble, you can easily climb. Amenities are at the center, and it's real flushing toilets. No, you can't bring your dog on this.

I love Gates Pass. There is such a nice energy here. I didn't get to hike too much, but the views…read morefor sunset are amazing. I have great memories visiting with my dad and coworkers. I will definitely be back to visit. The desert has such a special place in my heart and gates pass is definitely a great place to stop and take it all in.

Visited Gates Pass in Tucson, AZ and specifically the Gates Pass Scenic Lookout for sunset and it…read morewas breathtaking! As you look around, there are 360 views of different colors and hues illuminating the sky, and making for a spectacular sunset! There is plenty of parking and if you hike up maybe .2 miles you can get to the top of the mountain where the views are even better! Coming up here on a weekday, it wasn't too busy and you can get wonderful, Instagram worthy, unobstructed photos! There are lots of hiking trails and walking paths all around which is also a huge plus! I am obsessed with this spot and can't wait to visit again! Highly recommend to visitors and locals near and far!

Highly recommend you take a cavern tour…read more Pre-order tickets online. They sell out! Choose either the Rotunda or the Big Room tour. Same price, different part of the cavern. Note: the Big Room tour is unavailable in summer while the bat pups are learning to fly. It reopens sometime in October omce they migrate south for the winter. Price of parking is included with your tour. A brief pre-tour huddle happens just outside the museum before hopping on the tram for a ride to the entrance. Early morning tours = cool temperatures for this outdoor part of your visit. Come early and view the video in their auditorium which plays on the hour and half hour. Explore their museum area at your leisure. Enjoy the hardens and trails. The gift shop was closed during our visit as they switch vendors. Public restrooms on front and back of buildings were clean, with water fountains and bottle filling stations nearby. Leave *all* your belongings in your vehicle or rent a locker for four quarters each. No coats, bags, cell phones, cameras, back lacks, sunglasses, etc. in the caverns. Picnic tables in the shade in the garden area. Caverns are wheelchair accesible with handicap parking spots by the entrance and a wheelchair lift onto the tram.

First rule of the cave.. no pictures lol. Hence, no pictures are attached. They say it's because of…read moreaccidents reported from people not paying attention. Also, basically nothing is allowed in the cave. They had lockers that takes quarters but as far as I saw, no machine, you have to exchange with cash soooo prepare ahead. Leaving things in the car felt some what okay but not my favorite. I would appreciate if they had more security. They say they are not government funded so everything comes from public support. This was such a cool experience. You can tell the amount of work and detail they've put into the cave and preserving it. Truly different than other caves I've been to. There are two different parts of the cave you can choose from. If you can't do both my preference was the big room tour. I felt there was more to it, more things to see. Also, (sorry parents) perhaps the age limit made it more enjoyable too. Our tour guide Charles was INCREDIBLE. We did both tours back to back 0945 big room tour and 12 rotunda. Timing was perfect. Enough time to use the restroom and eat a snack. We brought our snacks, their cafe was closed. It would be an enjoyable experience to eat a packed lunch outside not sure if it's 100% allowed. Beginning of April was a GORGEOUS day. There's a McDonald about 12 min away. The big room tour is a man made/marked out, well paved easy walk/route. If you're worried about endurance or handiaccesible, it seems very accessible. The rotunda seemed a bit more incline but still well paved. You can wear white shoes and you wouldn't get dirty lol. I don't recommend open toes shoes/sandals because the Floor is very moist/wet. BOOK AHEAD. At least 2 weeks ahead to get the slots you want. If you're by yourself then a lot easier. It sells out quickly Restrooms were very clean and plentiful. As you wait for your tour guide before taking the tram to the cave there are another set of restrooms so that's appreciated. They want you to get there 30 min before. There really wasn't anything much to do ahead, it's just a simple check in. They have a mini museum that's nice to look around. You can get some good pictures outside prior or after the tour. Are both caves a must see, my bf says yes. I'm in between. If I would go back I would choose the big room tour again but that also has limited time opening due to the bats. As an AZ local or visiting this is a very enjoyable spot

We accessed this area at the end of Broadway. From that point there were several trails you could…read moretake. We started out on Shantz Trail, over to the road to Mica View picnic area. The Mica View Trail was closed for construction, so we got back to our vehicle by taking Cactus Forest Trail. Such a beautiful hike. Our desert is so green right now! Walking amongst the majestic saguaros was delightful. The views are fantastic of the Rincon and Catalina mountains especially. There were many pops of yellow with some flowers (or flowering weeds!) with sunny yellow color.

Great location for photos, you'll usually run into a handful of photographers here during the peak…read morelight hours. Also a great spot to get Saguaro Park East vibes without having to pay the park fees. Not a ton of parking, but we've always managed to find somewhere to squeeze in.

Mount Lemmon and the Catalina Highway, AZ. Early Dec, 2025. Mount Lemmon, the highest peak…read more(9,175') in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service as part of the Coronado National Forest. (Fun Fact: Mt. Lemmon is named after Sara Plummer Lemmon, an amateur botanist and the first white woman to climb to the summit in 1881. It is one of the few peaks in the U.S. named after a woman). Our objective was to drive the Catalina Highway Scenic Drive (27 miles) to the Mount Lemmon summit. This is the only paved road that leads to the upper reaches of the Santa Catalina Range, and is one of the most scenic highways in the southwest. Because the road starts in the lower Sonoran vegetative life zone and climbs to high forests, it offers the biological equivalent of driving from the deserts of Mexico to the forests of Canada in only 27 miles. Before proceeding on the drive, we downloaded a free app entitled "Mt. Lemmon Science Tour" by the University of Arizona, which provided excellent commentary on the Sky islands, rocks, life zones, water, forest, and fire, that was well-synced with our drive up the mountain as it evolved. This is a windy, slow drive with the posted speed limit of 35 MPH or less on most sections. Plus, you're sharing the road with bicyclists riding in both directions. The road is paved, and is well-designed with frequent pull-offs and stops that allow for vista views or just to take a rest. A few of our favorite and recommended stops include: *Babad Do'ag for its excellent vistas of the desert environment and saguaros. *Gordon Hirabayashi Campground (and Historical Recreation Area). I've reviewed this separately on Yelp. *The Palisades Visitor Center, with family-friendly exhibits, brochures and general information, and a small gift shop. *Windy Point Vista, for sweeping views. *High-elevation picnic areas at Box Elder, Alder, Loma Linda, or Inspiration Rock. *Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley, where there is a restaurant and ski lift rides ($). We were disappointed that the entrance road to Rose Canyon Lake was closed on the day that we visited. This is a Forest Service fee area. A day-use pass is $8 per vehicle, and can be purchased on-line or at the Palisades Visitors Center on-route. We didn't have time to hike on the day that we visited but there are miles and miles of trails of varying length and difficulty. While there are restrooms with pit toilets at multiple sites, but there is no potable water nor service stations. I've posted a handout about the area that I picked up at the Visitors Center. Only Spanish-language brochures were available.

Nice to take a break from the heat. The views are amazing definitely worth the drive from Tucsonread more

Came here on a night walk early June. The park is well maintained and the guides were amazing. We…read moredid ice breakers to start and really enjoyed that each guide has their own expertise. We learned about the unique wildlife, rock formations, insects and constellations! I highly recommend.

I went here for a night walk in June and had an amazing time with friends! The Rangers were so…read moreknowledgeable and friendly. I thought it was pretty cool the way they reflected pictures onto the ground of the animals they discussed. They taught us not just about the animals of the desert, but also about the rock formations, and constellations as well . They did an introduction before we set out on the trail and an icebreaker, which I also thought was a cool little activity to help us all feel more comfortable. I would definitely do this again, and recommend it for anyone who's never done it. This would be a great activity to bring an out-of-town friend on. FYI- the hell when you first start, the trail is pretty steep.. I was huffing and puffing a bit lol. If you have any knee injuries or struggle with steep land, you might want to sit this one out. The rest of the trail is flat after however the hill is needed to start and end the trail (it probably took like 1-2 minutes to scale it). Also to find the area where the hike starts, you'll want to drive all the way through the park until you get to the parking lot on the left. For some reason, I thought it would be pretty close to when you enter the park, however, it is a little drive.

Honeybee Canyon Loop Trail. Oro Valley, AZ. Late Nov, 2025. We wanted to do an easy morning hike,…read moreand the Honeybee Canyon Park was close to our resort. This family-friendly park offers about three miles of hiking trails, and we decided to do the Honeybee Canyon Loop Trail. Being mostly flat, most of the trails are rated "easy", but there are a few short areas where the slope is a bit steep and you need to ascend/descend on slippery sand or gravel. Entrance to the park and parking are free; there are about 20 parking spaces. Per my AllTrails app, we walked about 1.6 miles on a route that included the rock dam, but turned back without completing the loop as it was starting to get hot, there was limited shade in the desert, and, most importantly, there's limited signage on the trail (or anywhere in the park for that matter) so we kept going off-trail. This would've been a 5-star review if the signage was better to keep us on trail.

Lovely trail and park. Open low bush shrubs for popular backyard birding. And a paved path to…read morerestrooms, but hard packed gravel the rest of the trails.