Welcome to the Desert Packrat's Tucson Sky Islands Online, a website dedicated to information on hiking, mapping, camping and climbing in the desert Southwest especially Tucson, Arizona.  Why Tucson?  Simple.  This is where I have hiked for over 38 years.

What makes Tucson a good destination for outdoor enthusiasts is its diverse terrain, its dramatic sunsets and rock formations, and its long outdoor season.  With a quick 30 minute drive the scenery near Tucson can change from saguaro cactus to aspen and birch trees.  Combine this with the fact that Tucson enjoys 198 sunny days a year (25th among cities) and an average January temperature of 51^oF you begin to understand why so many people visit here.

To use this website effectively navigate the main section which introduces each topic and provides tips, data and other details created by the author.  Then for additional planning and preparation go to the links provided from government agencies, park websites, local franchises, outdoor retailers and other resources.  As always, your feedback is welcome.  Hike On!

Desert Packrat

Things to Check Out

Hike Tucson!

Find out more about Tucson and its outdoor opportunities here.  Discover its diverse biological and geological landscape, its well established park system, and the faithful outdoor community that sustains it. And just in case you want a little more of the Southwest, check out the additional links to places and sights throughout Arizona.

Trails

Here you will find one of the most complete listings of trails for the Tucson area as well as ratings, trail elevation profiles and links to trail descriptions. Simply pick one of Tucson’s mountain ranges to begin planning your day trip, weekend getaway, or more. These trails also can be downloaded from the Mapping section under the listing, “Coronado Sky Islands Trails”.

Climbing
Southern Arizona offers some of the best rock climbing conditions in the West; accessible mountains, challenging climb problems, scenic views and a supportive community all add to a great climbing experience.  Go here to find out how to get started as well as many other links to rock climbing resources.

Survival Tips
So you've seen Bear Grylls on Man vs. Wild, but you missed the episode about desert survival.  No sweat.  Click here to find out everything you need to know about surviving rattlesnake bites, 105 degree heat, and cactus pincushions. Once basic training has been completed you should be able to travel with confidence anywhere in Arizona.

Mapping
Click here to find unique maps of Arizona, local trails and links to other map resources.  Whether you are a beginner or expert with GPS and mapping, you will find something here to use. Available are custom maps for direct installation into Garmin Mapsource, track/route data for use in GPS software, and map overlays for Google Earth.  For traditionalists there are also links to paper maps.

Photography
Like most hikers, I am also an amateur photographer.  See my portfolio to get a better look at Tucson and the sights that can be seen.  My only warning is that because I have lived in Tucson for such a long time I usually avoid the cliche Tucson shots (not true when I visit the zoo or other cities).