Tag arizona

Walk Among Giant Saguaro in Tucson Park

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

Arizona is a mountain trail paradise, especially during springtime. Sue and I discovered a gem near Tucson: Tucson Mountain Park. Home to a forest of saguaro and other cactus varieties, the park offers 62 miles of trails for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. We enjoyed eight miles with moderate elevation change and found cactus “groves” that rival neighboring Saguaro National Park West. Crowds? We saw just a handful of walkers during our hike. The park is one of the nation’s most impressive parks run by local government.

The Bell Trail: Avoid the Sedona Crowds

Reg Spittle 2 Comments

The red-rock trails of the Sedona, Arizona area are spectacular, but you need to secure parking at trailhead lots early, even before 8 a.m. in some cases. Thanks to a tip from a Montana couple we met on a hike, we explored a red-rock canyon near Camp Verde, without the crowds. The Bell Trail is an out-and-back 6.9 miles with 587 feet of elevation gain. “Don’t miss the Crack,” we were advised. The Crack is a fissure that features pools where Wet Beaver Creek passes. A couple of young guys were tempted, but resisted jumping into the cloudy water.