Tucson Hiking Guide

Let us give thanks to our park rangers keeping us safe, and heed their excellent advice! But sometimes, these things happen. Take care out there!

For any life-threatening emergency, CALL 911! Only after contact with emergency services has been made, and if you are able, then call the park visitor center to inform the desk staff. 911 and local emergency services are able to use GPS and other technologies to better track hikers and find them quicker. The phones at the visitor center cannot do that. For all emergencies, 911 first, every minute counts!

A reminder from your friendly neighborhood rangers to keep safety in mind when planning for a hike! We strongly recommend staying off the trails from 10am – 4pm during the hotter months. If you are going to go for a hike plan to start early, bring plenty of water and salty snacks, and always tell a friend where you’re going and what time you expect to be done. This time of year, during our summer monsoon season, we also recommend keeping a close eye on the weather forecast. If you see approaching storm clouds, avoid walking in dry riverbeds (flash floods can become deadly fast), and avoid ridge trails (tall cacti and lightning don’t mix well).

For non-emergency dispatch, call 520-351-4900.

Do not go hiking during times of extreme heat, which in the lower elevations of the desert can be most days between April and October. Head for the higher elevations, or just don't go hiking at all.

As always, regardless of the weather, drink plenty of fluids, dress appropriately, and let others know where you're going and when you'll be back. A satellite communication device like the Garmin Inreach is also recommended if you will be out of cell phone service.

There have been too many heat related rescues in Arizona this summer.

📸 from SARA on the Pima County page.

We love hiking in the mountains around Tucson, but sometimes we venture elsewhere, in this case the John Muir Trail in California. It was beautiful.

Don’t you just love Saguaro National Park? (East or West - both are best!)

The creeks are flowing along the Bear Canyon and Sabino Canyon trails. If you're hiking the Bear Canyon trail plan on taking your boots off and enjoying the cold water.

Peeking through the saguaro from Saguaro National Park (West) to Baboquovari Peak in the distance

A beautiful hike on the Aqua Caliente trail east of Tucson. About 9 miles round-trip, and an elevation gain of 2,900 feet. This hike definitely deserves a "hard" rating, but the scenery and views are spectacular.

Hikers enjoying the Finger Rock Trail on a beautiful morning. The Finger Rock Trail leads to the summit of Mt. Kimball. It's a spectacular hike, but one that is very strenuous and not to be taken lightly. Late fall and early winter is a great time to hike this trail.

In addition to authoring The Tucson Hiking Guide, Betty Leavengood also wrote "Grand Canyon Women: Lives Shaped By Landscape." Our Mom led several hikes across the Canyon, at times accompanied by one or more of her children. Our final trip together was in 2018 when we scattered her ashes at the North Rim. These past two days I hiked rim to rim, with my sisters providing logistical support and much needed company after the hike. It was my first trip to the Canyon without our mother. As always the Canyon was spectacular. It was spectacularly hot as well, but it was worth the effort.

We thought this design from a local autistic artist was pretty cool! And if you get to Mount Lemmon, the cacti do indeed give way to the pines. Stay Wild!
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