Good hiking near tucson?

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Kirk_Ferentz

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Feb 16, 2010
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Any recommendations for a good day hike pretty close to tucson? I'd like something that won't take too long to get to/from with some rugged a$# country (as opposed to big gravel trails full of people or something). Elevation changes and nice vistas are welcome.

Looks like there is plenty of potential around tucson, but I need to figure this out in a day and I have never been there, so help a BF brother out.
 
Sabino Canyon is the most scenic trail. Don't know how rugged it is though. I live about an hour south of Tucson at high elevation. I would suggest driving up Mt. Lemmon (the mountain peak next to Tucson) and finding a trail up there.
 
What part of Tucson are you going to be in? To the north there is Catalina State Park, Pima Canyon, Finger Rock, Ventana Canyon. To the east there is Saguaro East and Douglas Spring trail.

Chad
 
Tanque Verde Trail in Saguaro National Park East is one of my favorite hikes when I visit Tucson at Christmas time. It follows a ridge up into the Rincon Mountains. It's a single-track hiking trail with views of the entire Tucson area. There's no water on the ridge, so carry lots. The trail starts at around 3000' and then goes up to 6000' if you want to go all the way to Juniper Basin. (~7 miles, one way.)

There's a spring at Juniper Basin so you might be able to get water there, but it also might dry up in the summer (I'm not sure). Check with the park rangers.

At the bottom of the trail you're walking through the usual landscape that you see around Tucson -- lots of saguaro, prickly pear, ocotillo, etc. As you go up you'll move into grasslands and pines.

I imagine that hiking that trail at this time of the year would be brutally hot. (In the winter time, it's pleasant but you can run into snow at the higher elevations). Did I mention that you should bring lots of water?
 
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