Hiking is a way of life in Tucson, Arizona, a city surrounded with various hiking opportunities all year long. Hiking the area can take you from the Sonoran Desert floor to the cool, forested mountain canyons in just a few hours. And during full moon hikes, the desert lights up bright enough that you can read a map without a flashlight.
About the Area
Tucson is a desert city surrounded on all four sides by mountains. Looming to the north are the Santa Catalinas and Mount Lemmon, a favorite getaway from the summer heat, while to the south are the Santa Ritas with 9,453-foot Mount Wrightson, the highest point near Tucson. The rugged Rincons lie to the east, and the moderate Tucson Mountains to the west; these are the two ranges that embrace Saguaro National Park east and west.
Free Groups
The local chapter of the Sierra Club leads hikes in the Tucson area, and you don't have to be a Sierra Club member to go. Ramblers Hiking Club has been the University of Arizona hiking club since 1945. The club's activities vary from lectures about wilderness camping and hiking safety, to short day hikes and extended backpack camping trips. All club activities are open to the public, and the only costs are group expenses, such as fuel, equipment and permit fees.
Membership Organizations
The Southern Arizona Hiking Club, founded in 1958, is a group of volunteers who lead hikes almost every day of the week. You can hike as a guest up to three times before joining the club, picking from their monthly club bulletin, which lists an average of 70 to 100 events. The Southern Arizona Adventure Company is a collection of adventurous singles and couples who like to have a good time hiking, camping and socializing, and offers an average of 40 to 45 events per month.
Tucson Meetup Groups
The various Meetup Clubs put together diverse groups of like-minded folks who enjoy exploring the Sonoran Desert and other areas around Tucson. The Tucson Hiking Meetup Club leads hikes from 2 to 4 miles, to up to 16 miles. Tucson Backpackers Club ranges from small evening strolls to long, strenuous all-day hikes. The X Hiking Club is for hiking enthusiasts who enjoy exploring places nobody has ever been. If you are only interested in moderate to difficult hikes, the X Club is worth exploring.
Considerations
If you are just visiting Tucson and want to hike with one of these clubs, there are precautions, other than avoiding rattlesnakes, you should take. First and foremost is the heat; three-digit temperatures are not uncommon from late May through September. While it is very humid in July and August during the monsoon season, the rest of the time it is so dry you don't realize you're sweating. This means bringing along plenty of drinking water.
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