Soldier Trail is up ahead. This challenging 5-mile out-and-back hike features Saguaro, prickly pears, and a 2,000-foot elevation gain! Note: The tour is over 30+ miles long, with more than 44 audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Babad Do’ag Scenic Overlook is coming up soon. This vista overlooks the entire city of Tucson and the mountains beyond. The Babad Do’ag trail also begins here. It’s a moderate 4.5-mile hike through Saguaros, chollas, and ocotillos.
One of the most fascinating features about this highway is how the climate changes as we drive. From start to finish, it’ll feel like we’ve driven vertically across the entire US, from south to north. Why is that? Because we’ll be gaining 6,000 feet of elevation along the way!
Molino Canyon is one of many boulder-filled canyons in the Catalina Mountains. At this elevation of about 4,000 feet, the mountain’s ecosystem is starting to change. Both at the overlook and the mountain it faces, you’ll see the earth covered in native grasses, tall spindly ocotillo, tufted desert broom, and a colorful flowering shrub called pink fairy duster.
This easy 5-mile out-and-back trail is relatively flat, which makes it a great place to break out the mountain bike if you’ve got one. It’s also an excellent path for trail runners. If you’re walking the trail, it should only take a little over two hours.
This challenging 10-mile out-and-back trail takes five hours and has a little bit of everything. The route starts in the desert terrain of the Catalina foothills, switchbacks up to a secluded pine forest with creek crossings, and ends in the Bear Canyon Picnic Area. The total elevation gain across the path is 2,000 feet, enough to feel the atmosphere get thinner and the temperature get cooler.
Speaking of birds, get a bird’s eye view of the canyon up ahead at Thimble Peak Vista! This overlook offers a clear view of Thimble Peak. When you see it, you’ll know right away where it gets its name. The top of the mountain is shaped exactly like a giant sewing thimble… only it’s over 5,000 feet high!
The Seven Cataracts are a series of waterfalls that pour from the Willow Canyon stream. From top to bottom, the entire complex is about 1,000 feet high! It’s not a straight drop, though. The water tumbles from rock to rock in a cascade formation. Despite the name “Seven Cataracts,” it’s more like a hundred mini waterfalls in one!
Did you pack your sandwiches? We’re about to pass one of the highway's best picnic spots! The Middle Bear picnic area sits alongside Bear Canyon, comfortably sheltered by ponderosa pines. You can see the rest of the canyon below. On the opposite slope, you’ll see a strange sculpture garden created by erosion and landslides.
Manzanita Vista is up ahead, offering views of a lush manzanita grove. You can identify manzanita by their smooth, bright red bark and gnarled branches. Manzanitas are prolific here because they can survive with poor soil and little water. They have adapted to the harshest growing conditions, and so they have absolutely no competition from other plants.
The view at Windy Point is unbeatable. You can see all the way from the desert at the base of the mountain to the subalpine summit. You’ll get to take in the entire biodiversity of Mount Lemmon in one panorama!
Geology Point Vista is ahead, offering views of hoodoos. A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock like a naturally occuring skyscraper. Hoodoos only develop in dry, hot climates.
Coming up is Duck Head Rock. This is one of Mount Lemmon’s most beloved landmarks, and you can probably guess why. This rock formation is shaped like a duck’s head with a long bill!
Up ahead is Hoodoo Vista, another overlook featuring unique geological formations. For a look at these fascinating hoodoos, park in the turnout just ahead. Otherwise, continue driving.
You probably don’t usually associate “Arizona” with “fishing.” Rose Canyon Lake is here to change your mind! This peaceful spot rarely sees the crowds who visit other attractions along the route, making it perfect to enjoy a moment of solitude.
San Pedro Vista is up ahead. This overlook boasts gorgeous views of the San Pedro Valley down below. When you’re done admiring the scenery, you can hop right on the Arizona National Scenic Trail––an 800 mile hike that spans the entire state, from the Mexican border to Utah! Don’t worry, there’s no rule saying you need to hike the whole thing!
Need a restroom break? Turn left onto East Organization Ridge Road to visit the Palisades Visitor Center. Otherwise, continue straight.
Butterfly Trail is up ahead. This challenging 11-mile hike is certainly scenic, but the biggest attraction can be found three miles in. That’s where an unofficial trail breaks off and leads to… a crashed F86 fighter jet from 1957! Wait, what? How did that happen?
Aspen Vista Point is up ahead, at an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet! On a clear day, you can see 50 miles away! The ridge rising out of the horizon is another sky island chain called the Galiuro Mountains. The two ranges are separated by a valley that plunges over 5,000 feet. The San Pedro River flows through the gulf between the mountains.
Just ahead is Red Ridge Trail. This moderate 10-mile trail gets its name from the red dirt that forms the path. The distinctive Sonoran Desert brick-colored soil is caused by weathering of minerals that contain a lot of iron. Or, as you probably know it, rust. The dirt here is exposed to the elements, just like when you leave your bicycle out in the rain.
Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is up ahead. Where you have an alpine mountain top, a ski resort can’t be far behind! Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is here for all your winter sporting needs.
The SkyCenter did NOT start out as an observatory. The government established a radar station at this location in 1956 during the height of Cold War paranoia. They wanted to scan the skies for enemy planes and missiles. For 10 years, Mount Lemmon was the highest continually-operating radar station in the world. 80 men worked at the radar station, most of whom lived at the facility full-time. After all, it would’ve been too much trouble to constantly trek up and down the mountain!
It was nice to learn about the ecosystem and history as we drove. It even gave us the best place to stop for restrooms. I would purchase again. The information was great. Sometimes the recording came in as if we had missed the first word or two. The map could have been a little more helpful. I don't think we got to the summit because we could not figure out which road to take in Summerhaven.
Excellent guide for driving and exploring Mt Lemmon. Well worth the money
We did the 2-3 self guide driving tour and it was perfect! We were staying at My Lemmon Lodge and wanted an activity to do so this worked perfectly. I found the voice calm but informative and it was nicely timed to the gps to give you time to stop to see stuff! Will definitely be using this app for future trips!
It was easy to use the self guided tour app. It was great to know some history of a few of the spots along the way to Mt Lemmon. We had to stomach the little nuances of the AI voice and clear opinions it expressed on history (rather than facts). But otherwise it was useful and we stopped at places we wouldn't have otherwise stopped.
This was a wonderful tour. No matter how many stops we made, the narrator picked back up in the exact correct spot. Learned a lot of history about Mt. Lemmon that we never would have known. Great experience!
This was the greatest addition to a beautiful trip up Mount Lemmon! Hearing about the changes in the landscape and turn out point in advance made it feel more intentional than just a nice drive. We were able to connect to the stereo and listen through the rental instead of the phone speaker. It kept our location when stopped to look around and was a pleasant voice to listen to!
Was helpful during drive. Was first time using. Took a bit at start but all good in the end (going to different app for voice correspondence).
For the price, this was a great deal! I synched the audio tour through our car and my whole family listened to the guideded tour all the way up the mountain. The tour provided adance warning of specific points of interest and was coordinated through GPS lat/long inforamtion. It was a highlight of our trip that many of my family still talk about.
This was a beautiful drive on a beautiful day. It was great having the audio tour guide to explain the seven different ecosystems we encountered as we drove up the mountain and to provide interesting details about the history of the area.
Really enjoyed the audio tour, took a couple hours. We appreciated the detail of each level of vegetation, and how quickly it changed-along with the temperature! We didn’t see many animals, but the history and information was great
It greatly enhanced our trip up Mt. Lemmon. App worked beautifully. Highly recommend!
First time users here and I have to say that our expectations weren't very high and this audio tour was AMAZING! It enriched our drive and helped create deeper memories that we will always associate with our visit to AZ. Buy the tour!
We really loved this and will check to see what other tours Travel With Action has available. There were several tidbits that we would not have known about and it made the experience more than just a drive. One small tip to narrator - check your Spanish pronunciation...I think the "ll" is pronounced as a "y". Ocotillo and a couple other times you pronounced as an l.
Excellent narrative. Made the trip so much more enjoyable and educational. Had us stop at areas we would not have otherwise.
We really enjoyed this drive from Tucson to the top of Mt. Lemmon. The narrator was very informative. He described the history of the area, the geology, the change in vegetation, and the wildlife in the area. We're looking forward to our next adventure.
Downloading it like a book enabled us to listen when there was no cellular connection. All of us learned a lot about the area which led us to do additional research.
It is very informative . Going at your own pace is a big plus. You can listen to a previous stop if you miss something.
We spent three days in Tuscon and this was our best experience by far. The narration was excellent and without it I think we would have missed so much. The references to the geology of the area was great and there's no way we would have learned this without the audio. It was easy to use and knew when we pulled off the road. Driving up Mt Lemmon is a once in a lifetime experience and don't do it without this audio guide.
The audio tour was informative and entertaining. We appreciated the coordinated commentary with the exact time we were approaching each particular sight.
This was the first time using the app. I was very impressed. Worked flawlessly, even without cell service. I will definitely check out other locations to use this app
Great self guided tour and automatically started audio as we hit specific points. Made the drive up Mt. Lemmon entertaining (it’s already beautiful so this audio added to the experience!)
The audio was excellent. All four of us found it to be very informative and very well presented. The history, details on the topography and plant life were interesting. It was perfectly in tune to all the upcoming sites and pull-off areas. I highly recommend this tour if you're driving up Mt. Lemmon. It took us about 3 hours at our leisurely pace.
It was a great drive with very good information. Enjoyed hearing the history and the science behind the miuntains
The audio tour was just perfect for our drive. Worked perfectly and the information was tremendous. I will listen again next time I drive up mt lemmon
Nice and easy to follow as long as you mind the speed and don't get ahead of the narration. Very pretty drive.
The audio was very easy to download and use. The guide was very informative and you learned about the next stop on the route as you drove. Everything worked seamlessly.
Set up and practice using before you go and it was really accurate with timing. You don’t have to start and stop it as you are riding and stopping for photo ops.!
The audio quality and ease of use are very good. The content is interesting too. The only upgrade to the experience I would suggest is to have the audio on the return trip, highlighting other areas of interest not mentioned on the trip up the mountain.
What a fantastic way to visit Mt Lemon! The scenery comes to life with facts about the ecology and history of Mt Lemon. Highly highly recommend - the whole family is already looking for similar Viator tours for areas near our home in San Francisco! Best $20 you’ll spend:)
Well done; spacing was perfect; great info; voice was pleasant and interesting. We have done a few. This one was super
Excellent guide. The sync points are exactly at the right location to make a decision to stop or pass on a site. Pleasing voice, perfect narration. It's educational and made the trip even more enjoyable. Highly recommended.
The drive up Mount Lemmon is absolutely breathtaking! The AUDIO-TOUR was so informative and easy to use…like having a personal tour guide in the backseat!
So glad we purchased this app. It made the trip even more interesting and enjoyable. Much appreciate the audio guidance to the starting point of the tour. The syncs along the way for points of interest come at exactly the right times as we drove, the voice level is perfect and is pleasant and the narrations are very informative. The next time we trip we will check for a new tour. Highly recommend!
Perfect Audio as you move along your tour it will only advace as you do. So when you are at a point of intrest it knows where you are in your tour. Very cool system. The narrator voice was very good quality and pleasant to listen to. Thank you.
A wonderful surprise on our trip! We had a free afternoon, so we went driving with this guided tour. It was informative, engaging, and accurate. We took a couple of little side jaunts as suggested by the app, too. It was a lovely way to spend a very hot day (at the base of the mountain!) and get ideas for hikes in the future.
Absolutely loved the audio tour of Mt Lemmon! We learned so much, so enjoyable!!! Very easy to use! Would buy it again in a heart beat!
This is a very interesting thing to do if you are a nature person. This tour is especially good if you use the University of Arizona driving app that describes the environment as you go. It’s pretty cool to go from the desert floor to a ski resort at 9,000 ft in about an hours drive.
The audio narration was excellent and very informative. Went well with scenery and stopping points of interest. Near the summit we had patchy audio. Was using Apple 13 Pro thru Apple CarPlay . All in all a great tour just a little disappointed in patchiness. Loved Mount Lemmon.
Great informative tour. Beautiful scenery. A "Must Do!" Tour app tracked movement so no need to pause/restart. Pleasant voice and very interesting.
This works well when driving up but hard to use driving down the mountain. I didn't notice that the trails were shown in red until the trip was almost over.
Great information/facts coincide with your drive. We really enjoyed this! Yes-the narration does begin before getting on the mountain.
Absolutely gorgeous drive. Narration was interesting and well presented. BUT the audio for each stop started just one syllable into the first word and ended too soon - before the end of the last sentence. Was annoying. And the last leg to the Sky Center was closed. Planned to do a full loop back to the hotel. Had to turn around at the ski hill and come back the way we went. Should be some way to know that before starting. Disappointing.
The app was great to use for a travel guide explaining the geologic formations and timeline that is observable throughout the drive. We were defintiely glad we made the purchase before out trip.
Best audio tour we’ve taken! Recommend it if you are in Tucson! Flexible, family oriented and very scenic. Great to seniors.
Wonderful drive with unforgettable views. Highly recommend. Some parts of drive closed, off shoot to Lake Rose, but that maybe seasonal or staffing cuts. All very doable. Recommend good walking shoes for a few of the stops where you can get out and walk.
This tour provided useful info in a timely manner allowing us to decide which points to stop at. The narrative was easy to understand.
Fantastic views. Well worth the hairpin road. Slow and easy does it. Cyclers were a challenge., but plenty of turnouts.
We are from out of state but as a family have done this trip before. It was great to have an understanding of what we knew was already there. Live the history.
We enjoyed the tour and learning things about the mountain we wouldn't have known without it. We liked how it stopped and started as needed along our way. We would sign up for another driving tour without reservation!
Mt. Lemmon is the second trip where I've used this app. All in all, the app is very useful and adds value to the trip. My only quibble is that the announcer mispronounces significant words. In the Mt. Lemmon trip, he said 'pre-sipes' for precipices (small ledges) and 'sag-warro' for saguaro. Same was true in the Yosemite trip although I can't think of any examples at the moment.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email