Tucson Mountain Park

This is a large free park with more hiking trails than mountains. It seems "so popular" that for some reason has three different Yelp entries (one of which is just for the shooting range - but there doesn't seem to be one for archery, despite there being a designated area for this). While there is a mountain, most of the hiking trails seem to be mostly fairly flat walks in the desert rather than actual climbs up and down.There seems enough variety in cactus species to not really need to pay to see any others at the nearby Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum or Saguaro National Park. There are also enough different trails to explore that, if walking in the desert is "your thing", you can come back and either go in a different direction to somewhere else or maybe just a slightly different way each visit. Some people seem to like to come sit in their cars at one of the many road turnouts. There is one hiking area that is actually part of Saguaro National Park and technically requires a usage fee - but I'm sure not if, when, or how anyone ever checks and/or enforces payment. This park also has a campground; the National Park doesn't. Hiking is allowed at night - but parked cars are not (allowed). There are a few private houses and other "tourist attractions" along the road through the park, as well as on most of the roads near the park's outer edges.

A huge park with tons of hiking trails. The trials are mostly easy but you have to watch your step and avoid the cactus. Lots of loose gravel & rocks you have to watch out for too. There are so many variety of cacti. Be careful of the Jumping Cholla that are on the tails and can stick on your shoes or clothes.

What you can expect is great hiking and mountain biking trails in a green and flowerful Sonoran desert. What you get randomly in splashes and colors are amazing sunrise's and sunset's.Shimmering ocotillo profuse red flowers in silhouette framed against a calico colored skygiant Saguaro cacti stretching skyward setting light radiates upon spiny jumping cholla balls sparklingprickly pear ears shimmycreosote twinkles like a Christmas treeas light illuminates its objectscattering swiftly across the deserta span too shortso chase the light and shootwhen sun is sinkingvibrant colors sweep across the Tucson desertthrough a slit in the Creator's canvassslowly splitting widerdeeper hues oozing outpink, orange, and yellow mixed with purple and blueI'll remember was I swept away by youin dazzling colors seeping across the Saguaro horizonilluminates the abstract matterthat His surreal Sonoran sunset artleaves me speechless!

Tucson Mountain Park in Tucson, Az. is such a picturesque setting. We did not camp out here, but we explored the area for a couple of hours while road tripping. The views from here are gorgeous and everything around is very scenic. There are boulders and rock formations, mountains and valleys and cactuses. We got some amazing photos out this way. The landscapes are magnificent. Next time we are driving through we will be stopping by again to explore the area even more.

While in Tucson this past weekend for a Thai Massage course, I camped in the Tucson Mountain Park. The setting is perfect for this time of year, 85 during the day and a cool 55 at night. There were many aspects of the Park that I would have loved to explore further, even the nearby Old Tucson attraction, but i was there to attend a class for the entire weekend. It is not easy to get beat up, literally, 4-5 hours a day. There are no showers at the Gilbert Ray Campground that I was camping at, so a good quick sink-shower had to suffice.

Great trails and quiet. Pretty sunset. Okay for bikes but need to be steady. Trails are not wide and have dips and curves and jutting rocks. One wrong move, ouch!

You can't go wrong here. People say there's no good hiking in Tucson but I found this park beautiful and secluded. Have a great day!

In response to the new plan to increase trails, block trails and construct new trails in the Tucson Mountain Park:MO, if the mountain bikers club members have such energy for another form of exercise besides pedaling, perhaps trail maintenance could be considered. They express a lot of enthusiasm and concern for the environment on their website however , there has been a lot of erosion since last spring and waterbars strategically placed might save some of what's left of the soil and fines on the inclined trails. The trails are more rocky now and older feet must lift higher. Also, the rains have induced a lot of vegetation growth and a minimal trim in places would be another possible use of the biker energy. I reject any plan to make TMP into a mountain bikers' motocross park. In the old days, TMP was trashed in its infancy by the spinning wheels of WWII war surplus jeeps , one owned by my uncle. I remember a couple rides as a kid. We shot at Saguaros too. The banked turns and eroded wash banks of many trails and the impromptu rerouting by bikers amount to the same environmental destruction. It is not without good reason the Saguaro Nat'l Monument excludes bikes..

Gilbert Ray campground is large but geared toward RVs (most sites are all sharp gravel) but they do have a few spots for tents with dirt pads. No showers but there are waist-high spigots all over the place for washing dishes, etc, where you can easily crouch down and take a shower.