The Santa Catalina Mountains lie at the north end of an “archipelago” of “Madrean sky island” mountain ranges that punctuate the landscape north of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. The Santa Catalinas also tower steeply 7,000 feet above the city of Tucson. These two factors have created an incredible diversity of plants and animals, cliffs and canyons, and enchanting rock formations which hikers, cyclists, and equestrians can explore.

In the Tucson winter, try the low-elevation canyons and slopes of the fore-range Pusch Ridge. You can choose among Pima, Finger Rock, Ventana, Esperero, Sabino, and Bear canyons, or the Linda Vista, Soldier, and Babad Do’ag trails that mount the slopes. Farther east, the Bellota, Milagrosa, and Agua Caliente Hill trails wind among the tumbled hills, follow the deep furrows, or make for the high ground between the Santa Catalinas and the Rincons. And there are still more trails behind the fore-range: East Fork and West Fork Sabino, or the Romero trail out of Catalina State Park to the Romero Pools, or the Baby Jesus trail a little to the north, with its wealth of petroglyphs hiding nearby. Each trail has its own personality, pleasures (and demands).

As the weather warms in February, head uphill to the Bug Spring Trail, or (on a sunny day) follow the Oracle Ridge Trail for a few miles north, or climb the Bear Canyon Trail through mixed forest to Bear Saddle, perhaps with a side trip to Guthrie Mountain. At Bear Saddle, you’re at the lower edge of the extensive high country of the Santa Catalinas, also known as “in the pines.” No other sky island in Arizona offers so many trails above 7000 feet—something one appreciates as the summer heat arrives.

So, as the snow and ice melt off from the tree shadows and north-facing slopes in March and April, turn to the high-elevation trails: the beloved Marshall Gulch/Aspen Trail loop around Marshall Peak; the Sunset Trail, down into Upper Sabino Canyon; the Wilderness of Rocks Trail along Lemmon Creek and its forks; the Mt Lemmon Trail from the very top of the range down to Romero Pass; the arduous Mt Lemmon Lookout Trail that drops into the Wilderness of Rocks, or the upper Aspen Trail down to Marshall Saddle; the cool switchbacks and big trees of the Aspen Draw Trail; the highly popular, easy Meadow Trail and the not-so-easy Trico Road at or a little below 9000 feet.

But that’s only the central region of the high country. If you’re looking for some serious
exercise, there’s the long plunge of the Red Ridge Trail down the north side of Mt Lemmon, or the endless variety of the Butterfly Trail as it follows the ins and outs of the northeastern face of the range, hanging like a balcony above the San Pedro Valley or sidling down from Westfall Knob to Novio Spring and the lush depths of the Crystal Spring Trail. Or if you prefer a ridgeline trail with views now to the east, now to the west, take the Incinerator Ridge Trail from near Mt Bigelow down to the San Pedro Vista or on along the Green Mountain Trail to Bear Saddle or perhaps the Brush Corral Trail and back.

Well, that’s the raptor’s overview. In time, FSCT will create a brief description of each of the more than 50 Santa Catalina trails, with elevation profile, current conditions, and notes about flora, fauna, and geology. For now, we hope that this introduction and the list on this page will give you a sense of the wealth of choices offered by the existing trail system. Go forth and explore and enjoy, and consider at some point joining us in the never-ending project of keeping the trails open and (even better) improving them so that they are safe, sustainable, and a delight to walk (or ride) on.

Nosey the Coati says: “Thank you for keeping the trails so nice and smooth. I use them too!”