Arizona is filled with plenty of beautiful places to spend your precious vacation hours: parks, rivers, swimming holes, and camping spots. One of the most diverse, and our favorite, are the mountains where you can find rugged, arid landscapes or places with deep lakes and where the trees tower over you.
If you’re like us and want to enjoy both of these aspects in one mountain range, then you will definitely want to pay a visit to the Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson.
Called the Catalinas by locals, this mountain range in Tucson has all of the rugged beauty of the desert that surrounds it, making this one beautiful destination.
Terry Pueblo Paradiso/Flickr
The mountain range also lives up to some traditional views of a mountain destination with tall pines, lakes, cooler weather, and…
Alan English CPA/Flickr
Snow! The elevation here is high enough that seeing a layer of snow top the mountain in winter is a common sight. Less common? When that snow even makes its way down to Tucson!
Kevin Schraer/Flickr
The drive from Tucson up to Summerhaven and Mount Lemmon will show you just how quickly the landscape can change in a short time period. It goes from desert to forest pretty quickly!
Alan English CPA/Flickr
There’s plenty to do here all year long! The area is perfect for a winter destination or a summer respite area just over an hour from downtown Tucson.
Alan English CPA/Flickr
Take a hike with a friend along one of the few dozen trails to see the diverse land up close.
Kevin Schraer/Flickr
During the warm months, you can enjoy a visit to Seven Falls in Sabino Canyon or one of several swimming holes scattered around the mountain to cool off.
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
Or you can spend some time quietly watching the wildlife that call the mountain home.
Alan English CPA/Flickr
Near Mount Lemmon, you’ll find lodges to spend the night or you can opt to set up a tent in one of several camp sites. There are also shops and restaurants to make your stay just a little easier.
Alan English CPA/Flickr
Don’t forget to check out the ski lift! You can use it for its intended purposes in the winter but in summer it makes a great pastime and a chance to see the area from a bird’s point of view.
Alan English CPA/Flickr
There’s also the observatory, where you can see the stars and planets even closer during one of their SkyNights Star Gazing events.
Alan English CPA/Flickr
Have you spent any of your vacation hours in these Arizona mountains? Be sure to let us know what was your favorite part of visiting!
Terry Pueblo Paradiso/Flickr
Alan English CPA/Flickr
Kevin Schraer/Flickr
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
If you want to check out some other fantastic mountains around the state, then be sure to read some of our other travel articles! You may want to start with These 13 Epic Mountains In Arizona Will Drop Your Jaw to get an over of a few places to visit.
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