Mt. Wasson is the highest peak (4,687′) in the Tucson Mountains west of the city. Take El Camino del Cerro (exit 252 from I-10) west about 5 miles from the freeway to the trailhead. From the top you will have an expansive east view of the city and Catalina Mountains. To the west, a grand view of the Avra Valley. Once you get to the top, you can turn around, but rather than coming all the way back to where you parked your car, you can pick up the trail north along the ridge to Picture Rocks. The trail ends at Picture Rocks Road. You might want to pre-arrange for a friend to pick you up in a car here and take you and your hiking companions back to the city. Alternatively, from the top of Wasson Peak, you can continue on the trail that heads down the west side … Continue reading

The Yetman Trail is an easy to moderate hike through a pretty saguaro-rich valley and up over the mountains near Gates Pass. From the east you can start at  either the Starr Pass Resort or from the parking lot at the southern end Camino de Oeste after it crosses Speedway. From the west you can start at the trail head in the parking lot at the bottom of Gates Pass on the Desert Museum side of the mountain. The Yetman Trail was named for David Yetman, Ph.D, (research social science) former City Councilman and now host of a fine local Public TV program called The Desert Speaks. Out and back, the trail is about 5 miles. Plan on 3 hours. Take water. In the summer, start at first light. One of the sites along the way is the ruins of the Bowen House, built by an East Coast newspaper guy … Continue reading