This was a nice hike on the southeast side! Lots of loose rocks so ankles beware! There were bikers…read moreand looked like there had been horses recently. The only negative was there were no trash cans to dispose after the hike. The portapotties were pristine and the trail was well maintained. We came on a Sunday morning and the trail was pretty empty. It's dog friendly too! Just make sure to clean up after them

Fun spot. Get a permit and explore…read more Parking available. Not busy this the permits. Lots to explore

10/10 would get lost in a cave again! ‍ Between the bats, the dramatic rock formations, and enough…read morefangs to make Dracula jealous, this cave tour was seriously unforgettable. Our guide, Eric, was very knowledgeable and cleverly funny.

My fiance and I had a great time at the Colossal Cave. Arik was our guide, and he truly saved the…read moreday! I had briefly set our newborn son on a nearby rock. When I turned back around, he was gone! Arik personally traversed the entire cave system, taking appx. 9.5 hours., in order to find our son. When he returned, he brought us the news that our son had taken up the pickaxe in the mine. Glad to know he's working! Thanks Arik.

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

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

Nice picnic area in a National Park. The bathrooms are nice and there's plenty of convenient…read moreparking. There are some great hiking trails with lots of opportunities to see birds and other wildlife. The park is a national treasure with a diversity for different habitats which is impressive.

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

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.

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!

This is a great location for outdoor enthusiasts. They have a nice birding trail and they…read moresometimes lead guided tours. The traffic gets a little congested during weekends in the summer, and there is a slight discount for visiting on weekdays. I thought the admission price at $25 was steep, in comparison to what other states are charging around the country. They don't take American Express, so I had to go 20 miles for an ATM machine. Prices were high in the market concession, and I didn't see any pricing. They charged $8 for a 19.9 oz of Coconut Water, which is at least a 100% markup. I was impressed that they offered free WiFi down by the lakefront, unfortunately it wasn't working.

$20 entry fee but well worth it! Lots of camping, RV, cabins, to choose from with plenty of…read morefacilities including ones out on the lake. Spent the day kayaking and swimming. Everyone was very respectful and friendly. The surrounding areas were very clean and well maintained.

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.

I really enjoyed this hike. The last time I was at Saguaro National Park, I just hiked through the…read moreKing Canyon Wash. Recently I did the King Canyon / Gould Mine loop trail. The weather was beautiful and I enjoyed the variety of cacti and dessert flora along the way. There are several options on King Canyon Trail to extend your hike and make it a full day or to make it a short quick hike. The beginning of the trailhead is on the outskirts of Saguaro National Park West near the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The Red Hills Visitor Center is also close by. But you do not need to pay an entrance fee to do this hike. There is a small parking lot at the start of the trailhead. Once you begin your hike, you will see that the King Canyon trail splits. You have the option of walking the one mile trail through a wash or on the man-made trail. The trail itself is pretty rocky, so wear proper shoes and maybe bring some walking sticks. You will see all types of amazing saguaros along the way. Once you arrive at the Mam-A-Gah picnic area, you have a few options. You can continue on the King Canyon trail to connect with the Sweetwater trail and eventually to Wasson Peak. The views at the peak are so beautiful. The hike is around seven miles and there are some switchbacks involved. If you go left on the Sendero Esperanza Trail, you can join up with the Hugh Norris Trail. This is a very long trail that will also get you to Wasson Peak. If you just want to make this a short hike, jump on the Gould Mine Trail and head back to the parking lot. The King Canyon / Gould Mine loop is only a couple miles roundtrip. Keep an eye out for some petroglyphs and abandoned mine shafts on this trail. If you love the desert, this is a great hike to get more in touch with it. I love the variety of desert plant life along the way. Make sure you wear sunblock and have plenty of water. Also take some time to explore Saguaro National Park and all that it has to offer.

Wasson Peak via King Canyon and Hugh Norris trail is a perfect hike if you want scenic views and a…read moredecent workout without too much difficulty. The King Canyon trail was more enjoyable than the Hugh Norris trail as Hugh Norris trail had much more loose rock. 7.9 miles loop with 1863 foot elevation gain. Located in Saguaro National Park West.