By Alan K. Lee
If you’re ever in the Tucson area, consider making the drive to the top of Mount Lemmon. A paved road takes you to the summit, more than 6500 feet above the valley floor. Numerous viewpoints along the way provide spectacular vistas the mountain, the surrounding desert below, and the mountains beyond. And numerous trailheads provide access to the ridges and canyons beyond the road for those who want to lace up their hiking boots and immerse themselves in the desert or mountain environment.
The drive takes you through numerous climatic and ecological zones, from the iconic saguaro cactus of the Sonoran Desert at the base of the mountain to an aspen and ponderosa pine forest at the summit.
The summit of Mount Lemmon is only 17 miles as the crow flies from downtown Tucson, but you have to navigate your way across the city and then up the 30 mile long Catalina Highway. The highway is winding and slow, and there was a lot of tourist traffic when we were there. It takes about 90 minutes to make the drive from downtown Tucson to the top of the mountain, but you’ll want to stop and admire the views in numerous places, and you’ll want to spend some time exploring the top of the mountain, so allow at least half a day for the trip. But I guarantee that you will not be sorry you did.
Windy Point, about seventeen miles from the beginning of the highway in Tanque Verde, has got to be one of the most spectacular viewpoints in southern Arizona. You’ll want to stop here and just wander around for a while. Take in the views of Tucson and the desert far below, the mountains beyond, and the rock formations around you. About four miles farther up the highway you’ll come to the San Pedro Vista, which gives you a panoramic view east across the San Pedro Valley to the Galiuro Mountains.
Another couple miles brings you to the Palisades Visitor Center, with still more panoramic views. You can get information about the area there, and the non-profit Public Lands Interpretive Association operates a bookstore at the center. Another few miles up the mountain is the Aspen Vista Point, another place you’ll want to stop and explore, especially if you’re there in the fall when the aspens are pure gold.
I was surprised to find a small community, Summerhaven, near the summit of the mountain, and even more surprised to find a small ski area. Snow skiing is not something I would have ever associated with Tucson or any place in southern Arizona. But at an elevation of 9157 feet, the top of the mountain gets enough snow in the winter to support an active ski area. There’s also a small astronomical observatory on the summit. The Mount Lemmon Sky Center Observatory is operated by the University of Arizona, and provides public viewing programs using their 24″ and 32″ telescopes.
If you go, note that the summit of Mount Lemmon can be thirty degrees cooler than Tucson, so dress accordingly. And if you plan to do any hiking, avoid mid-summer if possible and always bring plenty of water. There are no sources of safe drinking water on any of the hiking trails in the area, to my knowledge.
My wife and I made the drive to the summit in October 2019 while in Arizona to visit my brother and attend a wedding. I had never heard of Mount Lemmon and I wasn’t keen on making that long of a side trip, but my wife convinced me that it would be worthwhile, and she nailed this one. Mount Lemmon is more than just worthwhile, and worth more than just a side trip. Mount Lemmon is a worthy destination in its own right.
Not only am I glad we took the drive, I wish we could have spent more time exploring the mountain. For those that do have the time, there are several picnic areas along the highway, a few places to eat in Summerhaven, and there are several campgrounds a short ways off of the highway if you want to spend more than a day on the mountain. If you don’t want to camp, Summerhaven also has a few rental cabins, and a newly built small hotel. Check the Mount Lemmon General Store website for more information (click on the attractions tab).
Note: The Catalina Highway is open as of the date of this post, but in the summer of 2020 the entire area was closed to the public because of the Bighorn Fire that burned 120,000 acres in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Photos taken after the fire showed some badly burned areas, but others that were largely untouched. All of the area is open again, including the Palisades Visitor Center, but some of the attractions and the businesses in Summerhaven may be closed due to the ongoing pandemic. But I wouldn’t let any of that stop you from making the drive if you’re in the Tucson area, or even just passing through. It’s too spectacular to pass up.
Posted April 25, 2021
All photos © Alan K. Lee