A must do if you're visiting the area!…read more $24 for a basic tour and you will go inside with a tour guide! Our guide Everett was hilarious and informative. Didn't see wildlife like bats but saw their presence in the black goop on the walls. Apparently, people used to cut off a piece of the rock formation as a souvenir. Anyways, very interesting experience would rec! Plus u can get prickly pear ice cream or lemonade or both at the concession stand!

I booked the ladder tour for my husband and I for his birthday. Adam was our tour guide. We had a…read moregreat time! I am claustrophobic and let Adam know and he was very understanding and encouraging. He definitely helped me feel at ease and I was able to finish the entire tour. Adam is very passionate about caving and it really shows. We've been in multiple caves and on tours so I wasn't sure if this would be anything special. It absolutely was and I was pleasantly surprised. There were a few activities we got to do that I haven't ever experienced before like playing "drums" on stalactites and "painting" on the wall with a flashlight. We learned a lot about the history of the cave and heard some interesting and fun stories. We also got to explore a little bit on our own here and there off to the sides of the path which my husband really enjoyed. The ladder part is at the end and it was a lot of fun and almost like an obstacle course. We had a great time here and I'm really glad we came!

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.

This place has always been my go to place. I love the absolutely scenery and the view when you get…read moreto the top. This place has also some parking spots where they have a nice view and you can also walk as well to the rock place.. been coming over 4 yrs now and love when it's sunset it's a beautiful view of it. All the way to the top it's a resort when winter comes you can ski, also camping place or walking trail and picnic area as well. Pets is allowed as well. It's a must go...

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

As much as I love going underground and at this point have about 15 caves explored in AZ under my…read morebelt, I only finally made it to this one this weekend. Our caving group was having our winter conference here and it was really nice to use the visitor center's auditorium for our all day presentations. I learned about the invertebrates that live in caves, herpetology, bats and lots of other really fun topics about caves! Auditorium was very comfortable and all the IT worked great and the projector and acoustics were perfect. Seats also very comfortable. Later that day, some of us signed up for the headlamp tour of the Big Room that started at 5:30pm, which is only offered on Saturdays in the fall/winter. I was able to use my own headlamp and helmet. This tour is $50 and the price is higher than their regular tours, which is $30 for adults and all the lights in the cavern are on. The tour was good and I'm glad the proceeds of my ticket go to support this park. Phones aren't allowed into the cavern, so I took no pics. We also stayed in one of the 4 cabins on the campgrounds and it was fabulous. Cabin was super cozy and can sleep 6, one bed and two bunk beds. Cabins also come with a dining table, microwave and small fridge. Bathrooms right across from the cabin. Porch on the front and also a picnic table available. Fire pit also available. I had firewood but we could not make a fire because of rain. This was definitely glamping! And it was lovely. I would definitely do this again. Saw some fun turkeys too! A few things to note here, there is a Bat Cave Cafe on site open 11am - 2pm, however, it was difficult to get anything here as there was only one person working and a lot of us here. I brought my lunch from home. Night headlamp tour was fun but for $50, not sure how it differs from the day tours. But, do know that AZ state taxes don't go to supoort this park, so your tour ticket supports this park, so I can be OK with that. Its pretty amazing that two college students crawled their way thru a 10-12 inch sinkhole and then found this place! I am still in awe of this amazing discovery! And this is well before all the fancy equipment was available like lidar to help with uncovering new caves. And, once these guys, Tufts and Tenen found this cavern in 1974, they kept it a secret for awhile to protect against vandalism and damage. And in 1999, the cavern was open to the public. As someone who deeply loves caves, seeing this place was like one of the best sojourns for me! Im so glad I came to see this show cave! And please, let's all do our part to make sure caves are conserved so we can all enjoy them for a long time to come.

Beautiful place to hike for all abilities The hummingbird…read moresanctuary is a treat to see as well

What a beautiful spot, not far off Highway 19 but such a transition from flat desert to wooded…read morecanyon. We have went twice in past week, each time was great. Heard issues about parking but with so many picnic areas along with parking at trailheads, not sure what the complainers expect. We went early this am (around 730am) and the park was almost empty except for the birds. We hiked a couple of different trails, each one was well marked. If looking for birds, the area around the middle of canyon was abundant with all types of our feathered friends. Dozen of Acorn Woodpeckers posing along with many others. On drive to canyon keep eyes open for Hawks on the poles. All around great spot for hiking, birding and getting some fresh air.

This is a wonderful day place to visit, to hike from or through, or stay the night. Ghost town fans…read morewill enjoy this small but beautiful gold mining settlement which has a delightful little museum and parts of the original camp around. There is an on-site host there to talk with. The Arizona Trail passes through and you can take a nice hike and see where mining took place- the real kind, like you saw in the movies! Where they would dig and sift and everything. It's total "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" here except in Southern Arizona. The bed and "no" breakfast is a cool looking building you can spend the night in. I think it's around $75 a night and can fit up to 5 people. I haven't done it yet, when I do I'll report back. You bring your own gear, but they supply the bed and tables. There is running water. In the nearby area are trails and some 4X4 trails and be sure and visit the Empire Ranch on BLM land for a great day visit!

Calling all ghost town and mining town hunters! Head out to…read moreKentucky Camp, an old gold mining site, on Rt. 83 on the way to Sonoita. Some old adobe walls remain and other buildings have been restored. A caretaker lives on the site keeping watch. Thank you. Then, after touring the area, go for a great hike along the ARIZONA TRAIL right off the edge of the camp. It's easy and fairly flat and goes through land that feels like you're back in the 1800's. We saw some mule deer and horses and that's it. You could walk the 4 miles to Gardner Canyon or just backtrack. I think this place would be gorgeous when the fall colors arrive. Definitely goes on my favorite hikes list...right along side Ft. Bowie.

We love Patagonia Lake for a day trip. The park has much to offer including fishing, picnicking,…read morebird watching, recreational water activities like boating, kayaking, and paddle boarding. The lake has beautiful views too. Our favorite part is the "beach". We love to set out pop up out and enjoy the lake for the day. We love that it's not too far from Tucson as well!

Visiting this location offers a pleasant escape from the city. The serene lake provides a tranquil…read moreatmosphere. Numerous children are currently enjoying the final days of summer. Please note that the Visitor Center is presently undergoing renovations. Ample picnic tables are available throughout the area. Public restrooms are maintained to a high standard of cleanliness. This destination is highly recommended for individuals interested in water activities such as kayaking, canoeing, and boating. Boat rentals are also available on-site.

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.