Saguaro NP and Mt. Lemmon Self Guided Driving Audio Tour Bundle

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway

  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! Note: The tour is over 15+ miles long per tour, with more than 40+ audio stories per tour, and takes about 2-3 hours per tour to complete. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2

  Soldier Trail is up ahead. This challenging 5-mile out-and-back hike features Saguaro, prickly pears, and a 2,000-foot elevation gain!

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3

  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.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4

  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.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 5

  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.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6

  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.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 7

  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.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 8

  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!

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 9

  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.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 10

  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!

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 11

  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.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 12

  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.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 13

  Need a restroom break? Turn left onto East Organization Ridge Road to visit the Palisades Visitor Center. Otherwise, continue straight.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 14

  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?

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 15

  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.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 16

  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.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 17

  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.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 18

  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!

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 19
  Saguaro National Park

  Welcome to your tour of West Saguaro National Park! From mountain formations to colorful historical characters, Hollywood history to prickly cacti, there’s plenty to marvel at on this tour.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 20

  The park has since been rebuilt and remains open to the public today. To visit the park, take the turn that’s just ahead. Otherwise, continue driving straight.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 21

  The Gates Pass Scenic Lookout is coming up next, offering great views of Tucson’s ancient rock formations. There’s a trail as well, which I’ll talk more about when we’re closer to it.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 22

  Coming up soon is the Brown Mountain Trail. It’s a 5-mile loop trail that’s moderately challenging and should take under two hours to complete. Some hikers have reported coyote sightings on this trail. It’s not uncommon to hear coyote sounds echoing across Saguaro National Park.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 23

  Coming up are the King Canyon Trail and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The trail is a moderately challenging 7-mile trail that should take about four hours to complete. It’s a lot of work, but it features fabulous desert views along the way!

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 24

  Coming up are the King Canyon Trail. The trail is a moderately challenging 7-mile trail that should take about four hours to complete. It’s a lot of work, but features fabulous desert views along the way!

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 25

  The Desert Discovery Nature Trail is coming up soon, a straightforward half-mile hike boasting tons of the famous saguaro cacti! Speaking of cacti, did you know a bunch of species are edible? This doesn’t mean you should go plucking them to taste on your walks.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 26

  The Hugh Norris Trail is coming up soon. It’s a challenging 9-mile trail often traveled by horseback riders! It gets its name from 20th-century tribal police officer Hugh Norris. He was often out scouring for truant children for the Fort Yuma Indian School.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 27

  The Valley View Overlook Trail is coming up soon. It’s an easy 1-mile trail that takes about 20 minutes to complete. The Civilian Conservation Corps built this trail in the 1930s!

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 28

  Signal Hill has about 200 prehistoric petroglyphs made by the Hohokam, who lived in this area from about 450 to 1450 C.E. Indigenous people say that each petroglyph placement isn’t random!

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 29

  Welcome to East Saguaro National Park! Ancient cultures, ancient rocks, and trails await you on this tour. Our tour begins at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center at 3693 S Old Spanish Trail, Tucson. If you’re not there already, you should head there now. To begin your tour, simply continue straight along Cactus Forest Drive.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 30

  The Sonoran Desert Overlook is coming up. It’ll be on our left, offering gorgeous views of the landscape and cacti. The Hohokam, ancestors of the O’odham people, were some of the first to call this desert home. This resourceful group slowly gave up their nomadic hunting-gathering lifestyle for a more settled farming life, developing a distinct desert culture.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 31

  The Cactus Forest Overlook is coming up soon. It will be on our left. Here, you’ll enjoy overlooking an oasis of cacti. Sure, the saguaro cacti are the most famous since they’re exclusive to the Sonoran, but the park actually hosts about 25 species of cacti! These include prickly pears and chollas, as well as some lesser known cacti.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 32

  Coming up is the Mica View trailhead. It leads to a 4-mile loop trail that’s considered easy and should take less than ninety minutes to complete. There’s a sweet picnic spot, too! From there, you’ll get great views of the Rincon and Santa Catalina Mountains. Keep an eye out for birds like the Gila Woodpeckers and Gilded Flickers.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 33

  Up ahead is the Cactus Forest Trail. It’s a moderately challenging 10-mile route that should take about three and a half hours to complete. On this trail, you can see lime kilns that date back to 1880.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 34

  The Loma Verde Trail is coming up next. This easy 3.7-mile loop should take about an hour and fifteen minutes to complete. The trail crosses a seasonal stream and leads to a gradual downhill walk through the cactus forest.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 35

  There’s also the opportunity to explore the Garwood Dam. In 1945, Tucson residents Jospehine and Nelson Garwood bought 450 acres of land from two homesteaders. Three years later, while constructing a bigger house, they noticed that the Wildhorse Canyon behind their property always held water.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 36

  Up ahead is the Riparian Overlook. Some claim this is the best view of the cactus forest! From here, you can see clear across the sprawling saguaro wilderness. One thing you can’t see from up there? Rattlesnakes.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 37

  Off to our left are the Rincon Mountains. They’re pretty, but they’ve also got some wild history. On August 29, 1984, a Cessna 310 flew above these mountains. Four people sat inside the twin-engine aircraft. Outside, a thunderstorm raged and raged.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 38

  We’re approaching the Javelina Rocks. These rocks are named after javelina, a dog-sized animal found in this region that resembles a wild boar. They have short coarse salt and pepper hair, with short legs and pig-like noses.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 39

  The Tanque Verde Ridge Trail is coming up soon, at the end of our tour. I’ll tell you when we get there. The trail is a moderately challenging 3-mile route that should take under two hours to complete.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
• How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
• Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
• Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you

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