Hiking Tumamoc Hill in West Tucson; a Review
Hiking Tumamoc Hill, located on the far west side of Tucson, is extremely popular. Reasons for this are proximity to Tucson neighborhoods and a short but promised workout. We had heard about this for years and finally decided to see what all the fuss was all about. Don’t let the reviews from other websites fool you. This hike is NOT EASY. It requires lungs and legs. With an elevation gain of 730 ft. over 1.3 miles, it will get your heart pumping.
Tumamoc Hill is a research facility for the University of Arizona. Because people are working there, Monday through Friday you can’t climb the Hill between the hours of 7:30am and 5pm. Curfew is at 8pm. This restriction still allows for great sunrise and sunset views.
There is plenty of history on this hill dating back to 300-500BC. However, due to heavy foot traffic, the ecological sensitivity, and historical importance of the area, hiking is restricted to the asphalt road, which becomes a driveway after 8am. Park on the south side of W. Anklam Road immediately south of St. Mary’s Hospital.
Here are a few of the sights along the way.
