Day Hikes Showcase Sonoran Desert Beauty Around Tucson, Arizona

For many of us, an escape to nature means planning the day’s hike—and having a back-up plan if the trailhead fills to capacity. Sometimes, it entails fighting rush-hour traffic. Occasionally, it means leaving early when the trailhead is far enough away.

In Tucson, however, an escape to nature doesn’t demand more than a five- or 10-minute drive beyond city limits.

Tucson sits in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, which stretches out across more than 100,000 square miles and touches parts of Mexico and California. Within that vast expanse resides all manner of enchanting flora and fauna, including orange-and-black Gila monsters, speedy roadrunners, desert tortoises and towering saguaro cacti.

So famous is the saguaro cactus, an entire national monument was established in 1933 to protect old-growth stands of the prickly plant, which can live up to 200 years. (That monument became Saguaro National Park in 1994—but more on that later.) Today, the iconic saguaro cactus is the heart of a thriving desert ecosystem that sits in and surrounds the city of Tucson.

If you’d like to see the Sonoran Desert’s many charms up close, lace up your hiking books and fill your water bottle before setting out on these three top day hikes in the Tucson area.

Canyon Views Dazzle Along the Phoneline Trail in Sabino Canyon

Every city has its own backyard—an urban oasis that locals adore and that first-time visitors feel like they've discovered. In Tucson, that is the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, which resides in the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Jim Darling, president of the board of directors for Friends of Sabino Canyon, a nonprofit that formed in 1993 to conserve and protect the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, appreciates how easy it is to feel like you've left the city behind. “People can get to Sabino Canyon and get away from civilization pretty quickly," he says. "It's unique to have something that close to an urban area like Tucson.”

A single road heads into the heart of the park, and it's closed to public vehicles—making Sabino Canyon feel more rugged and remote than its close proximity to Tucson might indicate.

Get a feel for the park's highlights from along the 4.9-mile (one-way) Phoneline #27 Trail. The path, with a total elevation gain of about 1,000 feet, departs from near Sabino Canyon's visitor center before steadily ascending toward the canyon rim. The knobby Thimble Peak dominates the view to the north, forests of saguaro and cottonwood fill the canyon, and resident wildlife—including roadrunners, coyotes, jackrabbits and spotted cactus wrens—make an occasional appearance.

The trail ends by descending to the final stop on the Sabino Canyon Crawler line; the open-air tram travels between the visitor center and the heart of Sabino Canyon from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, providing hop-on, hop-off service to ticketholders along with narration on the area’s natural and cultural history. Following your hike, feel free to take the tram or walk the road back to the visitor center; if you'd rather cut out the elevation gain altogether, take the tram all the way to the final stop—and descend via the Phoneline Trail.

Note that dogs are not permitted on trails in Sabino Canyon, and that visitors can purchase tram tickets ahead of time.

History Stars Along Saguaro National Park’s Loma Verde Trail

The city of Tucson sits sandwiched by the two units of Saguaro National Park—a 93,000-acre playground that was first designated a national monument more than 90 years ago to protect its namesake cactus. Today, the park's East and West districts host picnic areas, a handful of backcountry campsites, and more than 170 miles of hiking trails that head through saguaro forests, desert grasslands and other fascinating ecosystems.

Trying to fit Saguaro's splendor into one signature hike is difficult, but the Loma Verde Trail, found in the park's East District, is a locally beloved trek for good reason. Over the course of 3.8 miles, the well-signed trail gains an easy 100 feet or so while passing some of the park's oldest and tallest cacti, heading to the long-abandoned Loma Verde Mine and offering expansive views of the park's rolling hillsides.

Show up in May and June to see the dazzling yellow and white blooms of the saguaro, as well as the fiery red and pink flowers of the prickly pear cactus. If you're lucky, you may spy one of the park's resident (and skittish) javelinas, jackrabbits or deer. Just keep in mind that dogs are not permitted on the trail.

Canyon Loop Trail Delivers Pleasant Introduction to Catalina State Park

The 5,550-acre Catalina State Park is a Tucson institution. Wildlife-watchers try to spot the 150 species of bird that call the park home. Hikers traverse foothills, canyons, riverbeds, and thick saguaro and mesquite forests next to the western slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains. And campers pitch tents and park their RVs at about 120 well-maintained sites that come outfitted with modern amenities.

But in the early 1970s, the modern-day park seemed like it was heading for a much different fate. At that time, developers proposed bulldozing the saguaro forest to make way for housing and golf courses. Public outcry was swift and loud, and Catalina State Park was formally established—just 14 miles north of downtown Tucson—in 1974.

Today, several miles of trails traverse the park's wide range of landscapes. But the Canyon Loop—consisting of Romero Canyon Trail, Sutherland Trail and the Canyon Loop Connector and which gains a gently graded 200 feet or so—packs a lot into 2.3 magical miles. Dramatic cacti line much of the trail, dozens of species of wildflower (including poppies and primrose) add pops of color to the arid desert in spring, and the park's expansive grasslands offer wide-open views of the surrounding mountains all year long.

Note that the trail crosses the Sutherland Wash several times—and that it may remain wet during monsoon season (June-September) and after winter storms (December-March); most crossings are easy enough to navigate while hopping across rocks, but turn back if you don't feel comfortable.

Safety Tips:

  • If hiking between May and October, and depending on how far you plan to hike, try to start before the day’s temperatures reach unbearable highs—by 7:00 or 8:00 a.m.
  • No matter the season, bring plenty of water—and slather on sunscreen before starting.
  • Keep an eye out for venomous animals, including the Gila monster and six species of rattlesnake that call the Sonoran Desert home.

When you go: