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...

To be up in the clouds is truly the most marvelous thing. I rummaged these photos from Google…read morePhotos and I can still remember this memory. I was traveling in Tucson, Arizona and my team's idea of a day off is absolutely playing tourist so my co-workers and I took the scenic route up to Mount Lemmon and this was the breath taking view. Arizona will always have my heart for the scenic views, gorgeous mountains, and for the really tall cacti!!!

I visited this vista point along Mt. Lemmon late April. It was a Friday evening with a few folks…read morebut it wasn't as crowded as I expected for the most popular sunset spot when it comes to Mt Lemmon. There was plenty of parking available. Can't go wrong with a Tucson sunset view!

A good trail for most older children and adults. Steep at first but then it gets easier.read more

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.

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 love this walk. It's also awesome to stop at the century cactus. I would recommend going in a…read moregroup or with people. I have found deer legs on the trail.

From the owner: Outdoor great guided hikes on Tucson area trails. Together we trek across the wilderness of the…read moregreat Sonoran Desert exploring the land, its history, flora and fauna. Learning about the desert and the ancient peoples who lived here long ago is not only interesting, it's awe-inspiring. To know we are standing in front of rock carvings called petroglyphs, is breathtaking. Some are thousands of years old. To date, unlike the Egyptian Hieroglyphics, no one knows quite yet what the meanings are of the stories they tell. The unusual iconic giant Saguaro cacti majestically stand to welcome you, literally, with open arms. At times javelina, coyotes, cactus wren, roadrunners will pass us by. To top it all, you'll enjoy a southwestern activity second to none in Tucson, also known as The Old Pueblo. So come, join your trail guide and get as close to nature as you can get. Schedules include sunset, moonlit & themed guided hikes. Book yours today. We also serve the Phoenix area.

Need some info on the Catalina Mountains or Mt. Lemmon? Perhaps you just need to take a pit stop on…read moreyour way up or down the mountain. or maybe you just want to get a little souvenir of your time spent in the area. Whatever the reason, the staff and rangers here are incredibly nice and helpful. We stopped here to get some info on hiking trails initially but then ended up getting a little souvenir for the little one. They have a variety of small toys, games, and books for kids and adults. While you're here also check out the magnificent tree stump whose tree rings reveal its age span of several hundred years.

The Mount Bigelow campsite is located just a few miles from Summerhaven, Mount Lemmon. As you're…read moredriving up General Hitchcock highway, you can turn right onto Bigelow Rd....which is mostly a dirt road. Campsites can be found along the road. As far as I know, Mount Bigelow is open year round. Spring camping can still be pretty chilly up on the mountain, so pack layers and check the weather for Mount Lemmon if you're planning an overnight stay, elevation is well over 8,000 feet, after all. The well know Butterfly Hiking trail also connects to Mount Bigelow, so it's really a win win in terms of location and access.