Best done *very* early in the morning before the heat and crowds hit. There are some very steep…read moresections, but the blacktop paving makes it doable. Don't bother with a map - once you are on the trail it is nearly impossible to get off-trail. Bring 2x the water you think you'll need. All that heavy breathing means you'll lose a lot of hydration through the lungs. It's an epic view at sunrise - too bad my ugly mug spoiled the photo!

Almost every time i am in Tucson, and have a couple of hours, I make a beeline for this short,…read moremoderate hike that is so rewarding! I love Tumamoc Hill, just such a gorgeous hike and a great short workout. The total distance of this in and out hike is 3 miles with about 700 feet elevation gain. Tonight, I partly ran up and down this trail and loved every minute of it! The views are so sick and I am mesmerized each time I am here. You will always see me grinning ear to ear when doing this hike. I have seen so much wildlife here, mule deers, all kinds of birds, saw hummingbirds tonight and all sorts of cacti species and many are blooming. And the views of mountains and clouds are just breathaking! So gorgeous!! Definitely come here for a bit of a nature buzz, your heart and mind will be so happy!

Beautiful desert park!…read more Despite the shutdown (2025) and the rain, we dropped by this park on the way back home from 'Em's soccer tourney in Mesa. This park is filled with the famous saguaro cactus that fills scenes of the southwest, but really is only located in the Sonoran desert of Southern Arizona. It was not summer hot, and overcast. We were able to hideout from the passing showers at the Red Hill Visitor Center. Inside they have a glass encased wildlife model. You can learn a lot about the Sonoran desert flora and fauna. There are a couple of hand phones that go into specific themes. Also available every 30min is a 15min video about the Sonoran Desert and the images of the culture and sustainment themes. The cool thing about the video was the end when the screen rises and reveals the back side of the visitor center and this vm beautiful scene of the park. Really beautiful. I can only imagine what it would look like on a clear sunset. The kids were able to do their Junior Rangers and we took some short hikes and drove through the scenic loop before heading out. The park is huge, we entered through the Western side in Picture Rock, and drove along the southern edge on the way home. It was nice to see this park, and I was glad we stopped to check it out. Recommended.

5/5 TOP RECOMMENDATION! Saguaro is now one of my favorite national parks in the country! If you're…read morea fan of cacti and the intricacies of plant life this is the spot for you. There's so many shapes and sizes you'll run into. The massive amount of cacti and plant life is astounding in such a vast desert environment. The park is super popular with Tucson locals and visitors alike. It's a perfect place for an adventure and introverts! I saw people relaxing as they marveled at the landscape around them. Saguaro is about 20 mins from Tucson. The roads are smooth inside the park and signage is pretty clear. Just don't go off the beaten trail and watch for rattle snakes! I felt safe, but it's always good to be cautious. The visitor center is sizable, it's got a cool gift shop, mini-museum, and information booth. I bought a National Park Passport so I can start stamping and inserting cancellations to my book. It's a perfect way to track your adventures across the US. The staff are slightly wet blankets, but hey I didn't come to see them. Guess they must be jealous!

I recently found that this is s great place to pick up the bike/walking trail. The trail is very…read morewell maintained and appears to have memorials along the path (I'm guessing from donors?). I've been several times and have had mostly good experiences. There are the occasional homeless folks who walk/live in park or in wash along path but they've not bothered me. It still seems relatively safe because you're very close to major roads but not so close you're getting exhaust from cars. The only other thing I don't love is the religious folks who sit near parking lot. I don't want to be solicited for anything in a public park but maybe it's a good place for recruitment. Otherwise I'll be back every week to get me and my pup some mileage!

Nice park with a sizable parking lot....It has a nice playscape and covered picnic area. I came to…read morebike the Rialto River Trail, which is nice and wide. Many bikers do not follow proper passing etiquette though, so be careful! I rode six miles and it was a good workout. There were some hills that had me a bit red in the face, sad but true. Along the river trail you will see hummingbirds, lizards and quail, which made it even more fantastic. You will not see water though...the river is dry, dry-like the desert. Speaking of which, bring water. You will pass bathrooms along the 12 mile (24 mile round trip) trail. I had a hard time following the trail, it must take a jog or something...what can I say, clearly, I am new to this.

Reid Park is a great place to go for some fresh air, space to roam, and to connect with nature…read more The tall trees grow around the duck ponds, which is filled with a variety of birds. Check out the fountain, the kids play area, picnic ramadas, and the center fountain. There is plenty of room to plop for a picnic or paint sesh.

Despite the recent influx of homeless people in the park and what seems to be a lack of leadership…read moreaddressing the issue, I still find the path to be relatively safe overall. You do occasionally run across people sleeping along the trail and some unpleasant situations, but the loop itself is still enjoyable. It's about a nice 2-mile path that circles around the zoo, park, and golf course. Only a small portion of the trail is lit at night, but there are a few drinking fountains along the way. Overall it's still a decent place for a walk, bicycle or jog during the day.

Nice to take a break from the heat. The views are amazing definitely worth the drive from Tucsonread more

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.

Easy hike with a mostly flat, well-maintained trail that's perfect for a relaxed walk. The views of…read morethe hot desert landscape are beautiful, with towering saguaros and plenty of cactus all around. A peaceful spot to soak in the scenery and enjoy the classic Southwest vibe.

I really enjoyed this trailhead. It had several trails with a variety of hills…read more It also seemed like a trail that either people don't know about or I hit it on an off weekend. It was pretty empty. The parking lot has been recently paved. A cool thing I really liked was the notebook to sign in on the trail. I'll def be back to get some miles in!

We came here just so we could see the Snake Bridge, but didn't mind the stroll. It's a really small…read morepark near downtown, and there isn't really much else to it. We felt a little unsafe here midday. There was a lot of commotion going on in the surrounding area. I think the bridge is definitely worth seeing, but all you need is a good 5-10 minutes and then you can be done here. There are pathways but they are pretty short.

We went for a couple's stroll on a sunshiny winter day in Tucson. The park didn't have its own…read moreparking so we had to street park in a neighborhood but that just meant more walking. The sky was blue and the cement path clear and clean as we weaved around a children's playground and a handful of picnic tables. With the chill in the air, no picnic was tempting but the crowd was scary. Laid out Meth-heads, harmless homeless, and others camped out taking over the tables secluded from a broad view. No security. No safety for anybody else. Here is an opportunity to help the less fortunate and yet an opportunity to be a victim of a voluntary crime. Stay safe. Stay together.

Terrific, shorter trail (less than 6 miles round trip). Still a couple of very steep parts but…read moremostly intermediate level. Trailhead has a dedicated parking lot for a dozen cars but on weekends they are all taken, especially from 9a - 2p.

Came around 10AM on a weekend, plenty of parking, no shade for most of the hike although it ends in…read morethe shade which is nice. Goes upward most of the way, probably would've been a lot easier if it weren't so hot. Come early! Views were good, could see the city and the other mountains around as well.