In many ways Tucson is a paradise for avid hikers.
The city is literally surrounded by mountains and offers endless trail options to choose from.
But it’s not just about quantity — there is a lot of variety in the hiking terrain with elevations ranging from 2,000 feet all the way up to above 9,000 feet!
In a single day hike you could encounter the same type of vegetation that would be found traveling from Mexico to Canada which is pretty mind blowing.
When it comes to weather, you’ll usually have clear blue sky over your head but you can still get your dose of snow, monsoon rains, and cool, cloudy days.
And the wildlife? You’ve got jaguars, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, black bears, gila monsters, rattlesnakes, scorpions — you never know what you might encounter.
Below, I will highlight 15 of the best hikes in Tucson.
I purposely left a few bangers off the list that I felt like were lesser known. (I don’t publish articles on trails I feel are true hidden gems.)
All the hikes below are pretty well-known and for the most part have appeared in major media outlets so I did not feel the need to conceal their existence.
Also, I did not list these in a specific order because rating them like that would be impossible and I would rather not send the bulk of readers to a single spot. I’ll let you decide who your #1 is!
Tucson hiking areas overview
Surrounding Tucson you have a national park, national forest, wilderness areas, state parks, conservation areas, etc. Given all of these designations I think the easiest way to view hiking areas around Tucson is to group them by mountain range.
The five mountain ranges directly surrounding Tucson include:
- Catalina Mountains (Mount Lemmon)
- Rincon Mountains (Saguaro National Park – East)
- Santa Rita Mountains (Mount Wrightson)
- Tuscon Mountains (Saguaro National Park – West)
- Tortolita Mountains (Tortolita Mountain Park)
You can expect to get to any of these mountain ranges within 15 to 45 minutes from Tucson (but it really does depend on which side of town you are coming from).
Coronado National Forest
I mentioned above how Tucson offers such a diverse range of terrain to explore and that is because of Coronado National Forest.
The Tucson area is surrounded by Coronado National Forest. There is a lot of overlap with other designated areas so at times you may be looking at a trail located in a wilderness area/national park + Coronado National Forest.
The Coronado National Forest is very expansive and is made up of several districts (you can see all of the districts in the map below). For purposes of focusing on Tucson, I won’t be touching on the Douglas, Safford, and Sierra Vista districts (although there is excellent hiking in these districts).
Bug Springs (Mount Lemmon)
The Bug Springs Trail is an out and back trail with about 2,000 feet in elevation gain. It’s one of my favorite trails due to the great views and impressive scenery change throughout the hike.
You’ll start out with some beautiful high desert scenery and then make your through a little rock jungle while having great views to admire. You’ll then drop down into a pine forest where you’ll have some nice shade to cool you down.
You can do an optional drop down at the end of the hike so that you get the full 2,000 feet in elevation gain but it’s a quick down and up with seemingly no purpose other than to burn your leg muscles!
This trail is very popular with mountain bikers which is the only drawback for hikers. Because of the steepness of the terrain they will come flying down the mountain so it is one of the few trails where hikers should give them the right of way.
Butterfly to Sunset Trail (Mount Lemmon)
The Butterfly to Sunset Trail could easily be one of the best trails in the Tucson area.
The issue is that it recently got burned pretty bad in 2020 and is still recovering. When we did this in the summer of 2021, we encountered significant thorny overgrowth throughout the entire trail which made it a little difficult to fully enjoy.
You can do this as an out and back, but I recommend doing it as a full loop trail with the Sunset Trail, which is about 8.3 miles and 2,200 feet in elevation gain.
On this trail you can come across a waterfall (in spring and early summer), an old plane crash (the pilot survived), and a wide range of forest including: pine, aspen, and fir. Views are fantastic on this trail and because it is one of the more remote trails on Mount Lemmon wildlife encounters seem to be more common so be on the lookout for bears and mountain lions.
Brown Mountain
Brown Mountain is one of my favorite moderate trails to do in the Tucson area. Located in the Tucson Mountains, this 4.3 mile loop trail gains about 700 feet in elevation.
It’s a great hike because you get almost all of the elevation gain out-of-the-way right out the gate which allows you to casually stroll on top of the mountain ridge and simply enjoy the views. You then drop down into a pretty thick cactus forest while still retaining some great views of the Tucson Mountains.
Pusch Peak via Linda Vista Trail (Santa Catalina Mountains)
Pusch Peak via Linda Vista Trail is a strenuous out and back climb that takes you to the top of Pusch Peak. I would not recommend this trail for beginners since you will gain about 2,700 feet in elevation in only about 2.2 miles!
The vast majority of the hike is steep hiking and/or class 2 scrambling so you need to be ready for a nice workout, especially for the 1 mile that gains close to 1,700 feet.
The reward is some pretty stunning mountain scenery as you ascend and then the overwhelming satisfaction that comes along with busting your butt on such a steep hike.
Lower Tanque Verde Falls (Catalina/Rincon)
When the snowmelt begins in winter or early spring Lower Tanque Verde Falls is a must do trail in Tucson. It is an out and back trail totaling 2.6 miles with only 440 feet in elevation gain. But don’t let those stats deceive you into thinking this is an easy hike.
When the creek is roaring with snow melt waters you’ll be forced to do a lot of awkward scrambling (including class 2 and 3) pretty much the entire way. Some points can be a little bit treacherous so you have to really be careful that you don’t slip and get swept away by some of the smaller waterfalls.
If you take your time and are mindful of your footing you should be able to make your way to the falls which is one of the best waterfalls in Tucson no doubt.
You can also make your way up to the Upper Falls by finding a trail that leads beyond the lower falls. Be warned, that is a common nudist area so you may come across some nude sunbathers.
Marshall Gulch (Santa Catalina Mountains)
Marshall Gulch is an area with a few different connecting trails you can choose from. It is one of the highest elevation trails in the Tucson area so it is perfect for people looking for cooler temperatures.
Depending on the time of year you’ll be hiking along a creek and strolling through beautiful pine trees for a large portion of the hike. There are some good views on this hike but it is mostly about the forest experience in my opinion.
I would recommend doing the Aspen Trail and Marshall Gulch Loop Trail so that you come back down on the Aspen Trail which takes you through a beautiful Aspen Grove which would be perfect in the fall. It is only about 4.2 miles and around 840 feet in elevation gain, making it an ideal moderate hike.
Bridal Wreath Falls (Saguaro National Park)
Bridal Wreath Falls is another pretty popular waterfall trail. Located in Saguaro National Park, it is 6 miles and about 1,100 feet in elevation gain for the out and back but you can also turn this into a loop trail by hopping on different routes.
This is a true moderate hike which offers just enough of a work out for you to feel like you expended yourself but it is not so challenging that you need several breaks to get through.
We experienced the waterfall after a mild monsoon rain so it was pretty weak but I know this falls can get flowing pretty good during the spring. Some people also prefer to check out nearby Ernie Falls which adds just over 1 mile to the trek.
Agua Caliente Hill (Catalina/Rincon)
Agua Caliente Hill is the high point between the Catalina and Rincon Mountains and it’s a little deceiving because this is a mountain in my eyes and not merely a “hill.” The trail is about 9 miles out and back with just under 3,000 feet in elevation gain. You’ll have some nice views on this trail especially on the latter half when you start to really pick up in elevation.
The very last segment of the trail, the push to the summit, is pretty steep and a little tricky with your footing on the loose rocks but if you are ready for it you should be able to push through no problem.
Blackett’s Ridge (Santa Catalina Mountains)
Blackett’s Ridge will give you a bird’s eye view of Sabino Canyon as it sits high between Sabino and Bear Canyon. The full distance is about 6 miles round-trip with close to 1,700 feet gained in elevation. If you are looking for a good workout with some pretty phenomenal views then this is a perfect hike to shoot for.
Phoneline Trail (Santa Catalina Mountains)
If you are in the mood for something a bit more tame but with a good amount of distance, the Phone Line Trail in Sabino Canyon is a great option. It’s basically the little brother of Blackett’s Ridge.
It’s about 10 miles round-trip so it is longer than Blackett’s Ridge but the elevation gain is only about 1,000 feet so it is a much more mild hiking climb.
You can do this out and back or make it a semi loop by coming back on a paved road that goes through Sabino Canyon. You could also jump on the tram one way which could cut the distance of this hike in half.
Super Trail (Mount Wrightson)
Another one of my favorite moderate trails is the Super Trail, located in the Santa Rita Mountains. This can be done in a loop or out and back. It offers some great views and takes you through some beautiful pine forest up to the Josephine Saddle.
You can choose to continue on to higher points and take the ultimate hike to Mount Wrightson if you would like (more on that below). What is great about this trail is that the grade is pretty mild so while it is a nice little distance it is very doable for hikers of many skill levels.
Seven Falls (Santa Catalina Mountains)
Located in Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, many people consider Seven Falls to be the most beautiful waterfall in the Tucson area. For this reason, this is definitely one of the most popular hikes.
The long version of this hike is a little under 9 miles and will have you gaining 1,066 feet elevation. (If you take the tram you can shorten this distance by a few miles.)
You’ll get to enjoy several creek crossings which are well-maintained meaning that it is pretty easy to avoid getting wet when crossing. The elevation gain is very mild throughout the hike. Towards the end you will be feeling it a bit more but even then I would still consider this a true moderate hike.
When you approach seven Falls hike truly is a spectacular sight. With all of the different falls combined it’s a pretty tall waterfall and you’re able to get up close and even scramble up to the different tiers of the falls. The rocks can be pretty slick near the falls so keep a close eye on your footing if you plan on scrambling up.
Rincon Peak (Saguaro National Park – East)
If you are looking to putting yourself through some punishment then look no further than Rincon Peak. This 16.5 mile out and back hike gains around 4,600 feet elevation gain and is one of the tallest points in Saguaro National Park.
This was my first long-distance day hike to do and it really put us to the test coming down the mountain into the heat. So I would not recommend trying this hike in the summer (as a day hike).
But if you can attempt it in more mild weather it really is a super rewarding hike. It’ll take you through different zones of vegetation including some beautiful pine forest and even give you an encounter with a small aspen grove near the top.
If you attempt this in the winter or early spring there should be creeks with plenty of running water but other times of the year it can be bone dry.
Mt Wrightson (Mount Wrightson)
Mt Wrightson is the tallest peak in the Tucson area. There are multiple ways that you can make your way up to the summit. In the past I’ve done Mount Wrightson via Old Baldy Trail. That was about 11.3 miles and a little over 4,000 feet in elevation gain. That route is not too bad but 4,000 feet is a lot of elevation gain and there are some switchbacks that will definitely push you.
As you would expect, the views on top of Wrightson are pretty amazing and it comes with the bragging rights of summiting the highest peak in the area.
Wasson Peak (Saguaro National Park – West)
I don’t know what it is about Wasson Peak but it is one of my favorite hikes to do in Tucson. This is a great moderate to hard hike that offer some great views from the Tucson Mountains.
I recommend doing the full loop which allows you to push through some switchbacks to the summit and then stroll along the mountain ridges that offer great views. It’s a great trail to do in the spring when the wildflowers and cactus are in full bloom.
Final word
All of the moderate and difficult trails above will not disappoint. Make sure that you plan appropriately for some of these longer hikes because high temperatures can make some of them extremely risky for a lot of people. For the most part though if you get an early start for these hikes you should be fine. Happy hiking and let me know if you have any other favorite hikes in the area!