Mimicking the look and feel of a cultured botanical garden, the flat, easy 9.2-mile trail that circles the 2,400-acre preserve winds among pristine stands of cholla cacti, ironwood trees and the sites signature “candelabra” saguaros.
Arizona hiking Archives
One of several highpoints in the hills south of the White Tank Mountains, Pyrite Summit anchors the western edge of Skyline Regional Park.
A climb up this isolated, 2,795-foot mound in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains rewards with amazing desert mountain vistas.
Hike of the Week 2023Hike of the Week: Maricopa Trail – Bronco Trailhead to Spur Cross Ranch
Mare CzinarJanuary 1, 2023
Start exploring the 315-mile, Valley-circling Maricopa Trail with a trek through its northmost reaches.
City HikesHackberry Spring Hike in Superstition Wilderness Area
Mare CzinarSeptember 27, 2022
Intrepid hikers with a good pair of boots can easily find this favorite hideaway in the Superstition Mountains.
City HikesCoyote Canyon In McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Mare CzinarSeptember 27, 2022
One of the most interesting routes in the north section of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Coyote Canyon Trail is already a hiker favorite because of its unique features.
City HikesHike to Blue Wash-Camp Creek Falls near Carefree
Mare CzinarSeptember 27, 2022
The sandy, canyon-bound courses of Blue Wash and Camp Creek provide an interesting twist on desert hiking.
Citizen Hiker‘Hiking Saved My Life:’ Tucson Trekker Reflects on Hiking Journey
Mare CzinarSeptember 16, 2022
“Hiking… saved my life,” says Kelly Thrush of Tucson. The liver transplant recipient points to 16 years of poor lifestyle choices, including a junk food diet and alcohol abuse, as factors in his near-fatal health crisis and ultimate wake-up call. While thankful for his second chance, Thrush struggled with shame and finding renewed purpose. “I wrestled with a lot of different ideas and questions… Why did I get to live that day? Someone’s child died...
Hiking August 2022Thompson Trail Hike in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Mare CzinarAugust 7, 2022
A babbling mountain stream in a pristine alpine meadow makes a welcoming gateway to the Thompson trail.
The sandy, canyon-bound courses of Blue Wash and Camp Creek provide an interesting twist on desert hiking.
For most of its 15-mile course, the Lime Kiln Trail winds through a dusty corridor of crumbling sediments and sparse vegetation.
Crystal clear gurgling waters, red rock cliffs, shady mesquite forests and towering canyon walls make hiking Red Creek an especially relaxing experience.
Waterfalls in the desert might sound incongruous, but the remote peaks and canyons of the Mazatzal Wilderness Area put on amazing waterworks.
This stretch of the 80-mile trail that run from Phoenix to Mayer cuts through foothills and grasslands fed by Big Bug and Antelope Creeks.
Hiking March 2022Hiking in the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area in Patagonia
Mare CzinarMarch 6, 2022
Mount Wrightson is a magnet for winter snow and summer rain and is the source of the perennial waters flowing through the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area.