Tucson is the gateway to Mexico by bus and the best city in the Southwest for someone who likes desert hiking, Mexican food (the real kind, not Tex-Mex), and museums that go beyond the usual. It sits in the Sonoran desert surrounded by saguaro cactus forests, mountain ranges and Native American history.
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Saguaro National Park
The park is split into two units on either side of the city. The Tucson Mountain District (west) has the densest stands of saguaro. The Rincon Mountain District (east) has more elevation range and backcountry trails. The Valley View Overlook trail in the west unit is an easy 1km loop through thick saguaro forest. Signal Hill has petroglyphs. The east unit has longer trails climbing into pine forest.
Saguaros grow about an inch per year. The big ones with multiple arms are 150+ years old. The park is free to enter (west side) or $25/vehicle for a 7-day pass (east side).
Hiking and Camping
Mount Lemmon (2,791m) rises north of the city. The Catalina Highway climbs from cactus desert to pine forest in 30 miles — one of the most dramatic elevation changes by road anywhere. Trails at Sabino Canyon are popular for day hikes. In the Santa Rita Mountains south of town, Madera Canyon is birding heaven — elegant trogons, painted redstarts, Mexican jays.
BLM land around Tucson offers free dispersed camping. Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson Mountain Park sits among the saguaros. RV parks are plentiful — many snowbirds winter here.
Pima Air and Space Museum
One of the best aviation museums in the world — over 400 aircraft on 80 acres. From a Wright Flyer replica to a B-52 Stratofortress. The adjacent AMARG boneyard (Davis-Monthan Air Force Base) has 4,000+ retired aircraft visible from the museum tram tour. The tram tour of the boneyard requires advance booking and US citizens only (government facility).
Museums
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a combo zoo, botanical garden and natural history museum focused on the Sonoran desert. The walk-through desert exhibits, hummingbird aviary and raptor show are excellent. Budget half a day.
The Tucson Museum of Art and the De Grazia Gallery of the Sun (adobe buildings decorated by artist Ted De Grazia) round out the cultural options.
Mexican Food
Tucson was designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy — the first in the US — partly for its Sonoran Mexican food heritage. South 12th Avenue and South 4th Avenue have excellent taquerias and Sonoran hot dog carts (bacon-wrapped hot dogs with beans, mayo, salsa). El Guero Canelo won a James Beard Award for their Sonoran dogs.