Discover Pima: Desert Trails, Nature and History

A trip to Pima focuses on the impressive landscapes of the Sonoran Desert, diverse wildlife and historical connections. The Pima County natural resource parks combine these themes with environmental education programs, birdwatching, hiking and mountain biking. This allows you to organize your holiday around active days, nature observations and cultural discoveries.

Desert Landscapes and Trails for Different Travel Plans

One defining experience is the Arizona National Scenic Trail. It runs through the eastern part of Pima County as well as through the Santa Rita Mountains, the Rincon Mountains, the Santa Catalina Mountains and Colossal Cave Mountain Park. Colossal Cave Mountain Park covers 2,400 acres and is also crossed by this long-distance hiking trail. Its landscape ranges from desert and grassland to dry cave and riparian habitats.

Tucson Mountain Park also offers plenty of space for activities. The park covers approximately 20,000 acres and has about 62 miles of non-motorized shared-use trails. The trails are open to hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers. The Loop is also of interest to cyclists and pedestrians: it is a 137-mile paved trail. The Pima County recreational trail network is accessible from public trailheads.

The Desert Loop Trail at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a challenging, half-mile hike through the Sonoran Desert.

Parks, Wildlife and Experiences in Nature

The two non-contiguous districts of Saguaro National Park flank the city of Tucson in Pima County. The two visitor centers offer restrooms, drinking fountains, maps, hiking trails, a scenic drive, programs and staff assistance. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is located on the west side of Tucson and borders the western part of Saguaro National Park as well as Tucson Mountain Park. This makes it possible to include different forms of nature exploration in your travel plans without every stop having the same character.

A distinctive landscape awaits you at Agua Caliente Park. The 101-acre park features a warm spring that flows year-round and a pond, which support a diverse range of plant and animal life. The renovated Ranch House, dating from the 1870s, contains a visitor center and an art gallery. Guided walks led by naturalists, as well as accessible paved and unpaved trails, round out the offerings.

History and Regional Culture

Pima also offers points of connection for travelers who want to combine landscapes and history. The San Xavier del Bac Mission in Pima County is a National Historic Landmark. Its historic white stucco church was completed by the Franciscans in 1797. Colossal Cave Mountain Park contains evidence of more than 1,000 years of human habitation. At Agua Caliente Park, evidence of human habitation dates back approximately 5,500 years.

Raúl M. Grijalva Canoa Ranch Conservation Park covers 4,800 acres of the original San Ignacio de la Canoa Grant. Historic Canoa Ranch is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In the natural resource parks, you can also learn about the history of an old ranch and gain a closer understanding of the connection between the landscape, its use and the region’s past.

The culinary side is also part of the regional experience. In the context of the host community of Tucson, tepary beans, chiles, squash and corn are named as native crops cultivated by ancient cultures. The foodways of the Tohono O’odham Nation shape the continuing culinary tradition. The Sonoran Dog Trail offers the opportunity to try the Sonoran Dog, the city’s iconic dish.

The Right Accommodation for Your Travel Plans

When looking for a holiday apartment in Pima, it is worth first deciding on your preferred focus. Those who primarily want to hike and experience the desert landscape can make the trails, parks and trailheads described above the centerpiece of their plans. For a trip with a stronger cultural focus, the mission, ranch history and historical traces at Agua Caliente Park and Colossal Cave Mountain Park provide useful points of orientation. Families can plan different daily rhythms: active stretches on the trails, observing nature, historical discoveries and culinary discoveries can be combined according to individual interests. A holiday apartment or holiday home should therefore primarily suit your planned travel style and the excursions you want to take during your stay in Pima.

For further orientation, you can also visit the pages for Green Valley, Tucson, Marana, Sasabe, Oro Valley, Drexel Heights, Tortolita, Avra Valley, Ajo, Casas Adobes and Arivaca.

For the overarching travel overview: Arizona.