Marshall your energy, the gulch awaits! My dad and I decided to take on the Marshall Gulch and…read moreAspen trail loop this Saturday and had a nice time exploring this area of the Mount Lemmon wilderness. Unlike much of the mountainside, this trail has a significant amount of forested area with ferns, aspen trees, and of course the fairly steeped sides ravine where the gulch stands, now dry in the hot Arizona summer temperatures. Also interesting is a significant wild fire burned a large portion of Mount Lemmon about five years ago. As a result, many charred trees still stand upright in the area towering above areas rich with plant growth due to the nutrient rich ash fall. The trail itself, combined with Aspen trail forms a loop that is almost exactly 4 miles long. I noticed that All Trails has it listed as 3.6 miles but was able to track our walk with my watch. The hike is what I would consider to be moderate. There are definitely portions with steeper ascent and also portions that can be a bit narrow. If you're a beginner hiker, it is doable but be prepared to take breaks and drink a lot of water. Regardless of your hiking skill, I would strongly recommend going counterclockwise as there is significant elevation change on the southern and eastern parts of the loop. This is much nicer to go down this section rather than up. Other notes - there are bathrooms at the trail head but no handwashing sinks so try to bring some hand sanitizer or wipes. There are also a few small parking areas near the trail head but these do fill up quickly and require a $8 daily fee, paid by an envelope dropbox honor system. Overall, great hike!

Let's just get this out of the way - I am completely, totally, and wholly a hiking novice. My…read moreintermediate (she would say "advanced beginner") hiker friend thankfully planned all our hiking getaways during our Tucson stay and I'm so pleased she opted for Mount Lemmon to be one of our destinations! We arrived at Marshall Gulch Trailhead . . . a little intimidated about how to proceed so we asked some hikers, we assumed to be more seasoned than us (we were right to assume this, as nearly everyone was more experienced than us, har har) and they recommended the easier trail. I wish I could remember the specifics, but I relied on my directionally-able friend to guide us (I am truly useless)! We went counterclockwise to save us from grueling inclines, but that just meant our descent was a little trickier than we would have ideally liked, haha. A segment of our hike was on the Arizona Trail, so that was pretty cool. We then did a second much easier flatter hike. Anyway, this particular hike ended up being my favorite because of the varied elevations, beautiful views, and friendly other hikers we encountered while on our hikes!

First Impressions:…read more Very clean, fun, and breathtaking in terms of views! Interactions: We had a few interactions in the shop up there, and they were very friendly and welcoming. Service: Can't speak to this as we didn't buy anything, but again want to emphasize how nice everyone was in the shops up there. Value: This was an amazing experience. I don't think I've ever been up a ski lift before, and I think the total time you get going up and down is roughly anywhere 10-18 mins up and same length back down. It moves very slow and I don't hate that. When you get to the top, you can get off and just walk around up there and get some amazing views. I believe we paid for two $34/35ish bucks. Well worth it! Recommendation: If your looking to do something for fun the weekend and want some amazing views, you should definitely check out the ski valley lift. It's fun and can be pretty relaxing going up and down! Will be back next time!

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.

Such a beautiful experience! So many different sites on the hour and a half up to the top of the…read moremountain. This is perfect for those who want to see the World and the different terrain of Arizona. It changes so frequently it's unbelievable!

One of the most beautiful places to hike ! Summerhaven is…read morethe so much fun to shop and eat . Highly recommend.

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.

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.

Sabino always delivers. I have noticed less rangers, less maintained bathrooms and trash cans…read more(thank you Trump administration) but overall this is our favorite park in metro Tucson. Always crowded.

First part of the trail (about 1 mile) is relatively flat but also next to a fence. After that you…read morestart to climb and about 0.5 to 0.75 of a mile after that it really starts to get steep as you switchback up the canyon walls to get to a first ridge. At that 0.75 mile point the trail is starting to get more poorly marked as well as we assume a lot of folks turn around near there and don't go all the way up. It's a decent spot to stop at, there is a small area with flat boulders you can sit on and catch a good view of the canyon to the south. There is no water, restrooms or rest area so come ready to hike and leave plenty of water in your car for your return.

One afternoon several friends and I wanted to go for a hike; we chose Ventana Canyon as a hiking…read moredestination chiefly because its supposed to be easy enough for beginners, but challenging enough for the more experienced among us. Long story short - there really isn't anything much here to challenge anyone who is any kind of intermediate or advanced hiker. It's also probably safe to say that calling it a Trail is overly generous; throughout most of the ground we covered what was allegedly a trail was just a rocky, narrow pseudo-path. Tip: If you happen to come here on one of Tucson's infrequent rainy days, the rocks can become quite slippery and maybe even a little dangerous. Bottom line: If you're a beginning hiker then this "trail" is quite doable and safe, as long as it's not raining. If you're an intermediate to advanced hiker and you want to get some sweat on, you should probably seek your challenges elsewhere.

What a fantastic park on the East side! It is a beautiful oasis with some hot springs (that are no…read morelonger in operation). It was an old farm and orchard at one time. Walk along trails the go through a mesquite "forest", hot springs, and a open area for bird and lizard watching. There are big beautiful palm lining the water. It was a soothing area. There was a small group doing yoga, and another group having a party while I was there. There is a musuem and art gallery to explore, and restrooms available. some of the old buildings on the farm are still there and in use for park operations.

A perfect spot to relax and enjoy nature! Beautiful trails, serene ponds, and plenty of open space…read moremake it ideal for picnics, walks, or just soaking up the outdoors. Clean, well-maintained, and family-friendly--truly a local gem.

Get new kind and happy camp hosts! We drove 2 1/2 hours. To be yelled at called stupid and have a 5…read moregl bucket water thrown on our fire which hit a member of group who is not physically well! We checked before we left home and fires were fine. He did it to other campers as well. I come from a fire fighting family! Well aware of the danger. The host at the entrance who took our money was his wife she yelled at us all . Including the other 6 campers who were there to complain, said we were all stupid and that she quit. Mind you not one person was being rude or yelling. I deal with people daily. I would never treat any one so harshly. I feel that we were assaulted!

Starting off, I'm going to recognize 'Monica E' as an incredible resource for nearly everything as…read morea great breakdown on the intricate details of Rose Canyon Lake, so I won't capitulate on the details she provides; look up her review! There is one error I'll note with her review which is minor but important; you ARE able to reserve locations at Rose Canyon Lake. It's on numerous websites and even by calling, you can. No worries though, small detail but again, her review is amazingly full of all details that I found across three different websites and she put together for you! On a more simpler context I'll say this about Rose Canyon Lake, It's super tiny, very hilly (which I prefer!) and unfortunately the campsites are not 'near' the water. However with 70 some sites, you'll often hear someone near you because the trees deaden so much surrounding noise, you'll hear your neighbor; warning! In fact, our neighbors had to be reported on our visit in May because they were just obnoxious and atrocious with incredibly foul language - throughout the day and well past the quiet hours. Let's be honest, you come to the forest for some peace and quiet. Had we known there was a Ranger on duty throughout the night, we could've communicated that but we learned this the next day. RCL is small, beautiful with surrounding hiking and about 30 degrees cooler than Tucson. Win. Never saw the little 'Lake Store' open during our May visit but no worries nonetheless. Cell phone signal is absent in all the campsites unless you climb the hills around the lake. For at least the four phones with my group, that was the norm. You can use a canoe, ONLY if you pay extra for this. Not sure what good that is but the extra pay keeps you and other out of the water I suppose? There are also a generous amount of restroom spots throughout and some are unisex ones, most, with water spigots. You never have to go to far for a potty break so that made my daughters feel more comfortable. The wildlife surrounding is filled with humorous crows and tons and I mean TONS of squirrels of different species. The pine smell and the beautiful temps in May are a win... One final note, they make it much safer here by implanting 'bear proof' trash and campsite specific lock boxes to store all your food safely out of reach of Bears at night. This no doubt dramatically reduces interfaces thus, making it safer for continuous use as a campsite. The campsite Rangers where attentive and polite and overall, we highly recommend this location albeit secluded, no cell service and a bit on top of your neighbors. No real negatives per se except that the lake is REALLY tiny but is a reprieve nonetheless! It's a nice break from the heat of Tucson and the fresh pine smell is a win!

I can't believe this is 2 miles from my house and I've never been here! This was a nice half mile…read moreloop around the water with lookouts where you can sit down on a bench and enjoy! It's run by the City of Tucson water department, and open from dawn to dusk. We saw egrets, ducks, turtles, and even a coyote! We brought the binoculars and really enjoyed relaxing here this morning!

Magical place to visit that is accessible to the City of Tucson and UAZ campus. It is a wetland…read morewith a well maintained trail that is accessible. It has facilities and parking. The wetlands - being 2 small bodies of water and surrounding vegetation- attract waterfowl, birds, hummingbirds, hawks, lizards, insects and bobcats. The loop around the wetlands is about .6 miles. Very peaceful.