Mount Lemmon: Tucson, AZ
The first time I drove up to Mount Lemmon I was shocked… You’re driving up this crazy winding road surrounded by saguaros & desert (until about the 4000 ft elevation mark), and suddenly it shifts to lush, green forest.
It’s only an hour from the main part of Tucson. You’re right in the middle of the Santa Catalina Mountain Range in the Coronado National Forest and the views are magnificent.
The drive to the peak is 27 miles of beautiful scenic views with tons of stops to park, walk around, and take it all in. The drive to the top is my favorite part of the whole day out so enjoy!
Instagram:
@visitmountlemmon
Website:
https://www.visitarizona.com/places/parks-monuments/mount-lemmon/
Mount Lemmon is about 30 degrees cooler than Tucson, which makes this location a perfect little getaway.
In the summer it is a nice and cool respite from the Tucson summer heat. The hiking is beautiful and has varying difficulties and you can camp, fish, birdwatch, or rock climb.
The town at the top is appropriately named Summerhaven. It definitely gets busy on nice days so get there early for less people and better parking if Summerhaven is you’re main attraction.
In the winter it’s a ski lodge fully equipped for skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and sledding at Ski Valley. I’ve never been in the winter but my brother drives up to get his yearly snow fix and loves to send us photos (Hi Mark!!). There are private cabins that you can rent (click here for an airbnb search for Mount Lemmon cabins!)
Stargazing Experiences
Arizona has some of the best stargazing. At the peak of Mount Lemmon (9,157 ft), the University of Arizona has a Sky Center Observatory that has the US’s largest public telescopes. They host nightly stargazing (absolutely have to book ahead!) at $60 for ages 17 and under and $85 for 18+.
These stargazing experiences include a light dinner, lecture, and the opportunity to observe the night sky in a very unique way.
