Urban Trails Tucson

Features 47 trails in the greater Tucson region Includes an ID guide to common desert plants and animals and an overview of the region's longstanding cultural history Trail info for families with kids, dog owners, bikers, and runners

Surrounded by five mountain ranges, with high points ranging from roughly 4,700 to 9,400 feet, the growing metro region of Tucson, Arizona, has a dramatic mountain view in every direction. Within the city limits lies a spectacular abundance of accessible nature, including a wide variety of trails: pedestrian paths, singletrack trails, mountain parks, and river walks. Urban Trails: Tucson covers 47 hikes, in the city limits and Pima County Parks, on the Arizona National Scenic Trail, throughout Saguaro National Park, in Madera and Texas Canyons, and so much more. Author Sirena Rana shares tips and tricks for recreating safely in the desert environment and covers plants, animals, history, archaeology, geology, and the Indigenous people of the region, as the Tucson basin is one of the longest continually inhabited areas in the United States. Sidebars sprinkled throughout offer local information, including a glossary of trail terms, Tucson's rich gastronomic history, Southeastern Arizona's status as a hot spot for birding, the local annual rodeo, and the famous Gem and Mineral Show.