Few cities in the United States cover more territory than Tucson. The volcanic valley floor seen above is roughly 30 miles square. That's 900 square miles. And it doesn't include the surrounding communities that comprise the metro area of Tucson. Those include Sahuarita and Green Valley to the south, and Marana, Oro Valley and Catalina to the northwest.
Four mountain ranges surround the Tucson valley. To the north, the Santa Catalinas, seen above (left,) rise to nearly 10,000 feet.
This photo on the left shows the Tucson valley floor from the vantage point of a trail near the top of the Catalinas near Summerhaven, on Mt. Lemmon.
In the background of the photo you can see the mountain range south of the valley. These are the Santa Ritas, topping out with Mount Wrightson (Old Baldy) at 9,250 feet.
The rock in these two mountain ranges is largely granite and metamorphic gneiss.
A 26 mile drive from the valley floor to the top of the Catalinas along the Catalina highway will take you through every eco-system you would encounter driving from northern Mexico to Canada. It's a beautiful drive. And at the top, you'll find the southerly most ski area in North America: Mount Lemmon Ski Valley. A ski lift? They've got one. Although the area gets 15 feet of snow per year, the skiing weather is usually mild enough for a sweater.
The eastern boundry of the Tucson valley is the Rincon Mountain range. I took this photo (above) on an unusual foggy morning from a distance of thirty miles. I was at the top of the Ajo pass in the Tucson mountains looking east just after sunrise. On the other side of that range are the Galiuros, a designated wilderness range. The Galiuro Wilderness area is the least traveled wilderness area in the United States, according to the National Park Service. That ought to appeal to some of you. Come visit!
The Tucson Mountain range defines Tucson's western boundry. My Darlin' and I call the Tucson Mountains our home, and let me tell you, it's one of the most beautiful places you can imagine.
- Saguaro National Park (west) is in the Tucson Mountains.
- So is the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, one of the ten best zoos in the world.
- And don't forget Old Tucson Studios, home to every western movie sporting one or more saguaro cacti.
Tucson has all the amenities you would want in a resort destination, but we're still the Old Pueblo, and this is still the wild west!
I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.
Think of me as your Tucson mortgage expert.
Call me if I can help you with a mortgage to buy your next house:
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City of Tucson photo courtesy Wikipedia
All others copyright Mike in Tucson (all rights reserved)
The Series:
This is priceless.
From the urban concentration of folks to the wilderness of the desert and wildlife and of course, that brilliant sunset; an American adventure.
I love the National Geographic flavor here! (How close were you to that mountain lion??!) The photos are beautiful and the geography is very interesting...I always enjoy that. What a special place to live---and work!
Mike,
Another very nice post on Tucson. I love the pic of the, I am assuming, Mountain Lion. Tucson looks like a place I would like to visit someday.
Wow.. I would love to visit Tucson.... I also love how you capture the area....
Great article about your area. Gave me some ideas to post on my blogs.
Mike this looks nice. After all the snow here I am ready to move today.
Hi Mike:
Part 2 of a 10 part series huh....I'm going to learn so much about Tucson!
absolutley gorgeous
Cindy,
Thanks for saying so!
Toula,
Thanks for being a subscriber to my blog!
Russ,
Prices are down, and we're ready for you. Come on down.
Kathy,
Glad to hear it.
Donna,
Thank you. Hop on Southwest and fly on down!
Don,
It is a mountain lion. (Rest your cursor on the photo to read the caption.) And re the visit? We're ready for you to come on down!
Mara,
Thanks for the encouragement. Do you get the idea that we love Tucson?!
Lenn,
Thanks for being the first to comment. Living here absolutely is an American adventure!
Mike in Tucson
Thanks for sharing the wonderful photos - it's snowing here! I lived there 18 months. Loved sitting on my patio to watch the sunsets over the Tucson Mts. The window in my home office looked at the Tortolinos and from my front yard I had a good view of the Catalinas - which I loved hiking in. I have very similar photos in my home to the one you took from Mt Lemmon only my photo is at Windy Pt. And I have a similar sunrise photo over the Rincon Mts. It's amazing terrain out there!
Gorgeous shots Mike ! - especially your little furry friend hding by the rock :o)
Sheldon,
That's a mature female mountain lion. Maybe 130 pounds.
Elaine,
Don't you miss it? Especially now when the winter storms are battering the midwest!
Mike in Tucson
I love learning about places and this was the first I've read about Tuscon, I went to Phoenix back in 1996 (my wife went to college there in the early 80s) and she was shocked at the transformation of the place. She always commented on how lovely and unique Tuscon was.
I look forward to reading all your posts about Tuscon. What an enchanting place to call home!
Mike,
Great photos! I was disappointed when I read that the cat was in a zoo. Brenda and I have seen almost everything that lives around Lake Mead but never a cat. We did wake up one morning to find cat tracks on the front deck, but never saw it. Loved the photos regardless.
Bill
I've been to Tucson but there is nothing like a native giving a tour thanks.
Mike - one word: GORGEOUS! In parts of west Texas there are mountains, but nothing like this. That is one thing I miss about my part of the world is lack of mountainous terrain. But then again, when I wake up to ice this morning I'm pretty glad our roads are relatively flat. Anyway, great post - nice layout and content!
Mike,
Great pictures! Great layout!!! Thanks, Fran
Mike,
Great Cyber Travel Tour.....makes me wnat to visit....just maybe one of these days. Regretfully Texas is as far west as I've got. Good job!
While they don't list Mount Lemmon Ski Valley, OnTheSnow.com does have the most up-to-date information on Arizona Snowbowl and Sunrise Park. Anyone interested in Arizona snow conditions should visit OnTheSnow.com/arizona/skireport.html
I used to travel to Tucson for work as a store representative for Robinsons May - remember them? I often drove down from Phoenix in a rented car - loved that drive.
Mike, so you have piqued my interest in this area. What beautiful shots you got! The whole area almost seems surreal. It's lovely. Thank you.
Later in the rain~Deb
Beautiful. I'd love to drag a Jeep out there and play for a little while.
Mike, some incredible photos.
Love that Mountain Lion sitting there in those rocks! Very nice information on Tuscon! thanks for sharing!
Hey Mike, I drove through Tuscon a few years ago and I'll have to admit, It seemed like it never ended. The weather was fabulous and the city was very clean. The only complaint we had was the shortage of time on our trip.
Wonderful photography, Mike! Great job.
JB,
Thanks for the encouragement!
Tom,
I hope you come back again soon. Thanks for commenting.
Patty,
Love the blinking graphic! See you on your blog.
David,
Thanks! I love taking photos.
Lane,
It's the climate and topography for a Jeep! Come on out.
Deb,
You haven't seen the half of it! Thanks for commenting.
Jeff,
I do remember Robinsons May. They used to be a customer of mine in another life (the payment processing location in Mesa. I was National Sales Manager with OPEX Corporation.)
Paul,
Thanks for the ski info. Here's an active link to the Arizona Snow Report.
Ron,
We'll look forward to your visit.
Fran,
You're one encouraging guy, and in a market like this, we all need encouragement! :)
Kim,
Thanks! I drive through McKinney, TX once or twice a year, and you have some pretty countryside out there. (I work cattle in Caddo OK in the spring each year.)
Terry,
...and I'm looking forward to meeting you the next time!
Bill,
Don't be disappointed. My Darlin' and I had a juvenile lion in our back yard August of 2005. They're so plentiful in Arizona that hunters can legally pursue them year round. Not that any do that so far as I know in our area. I would have read about it in the Game & Fish report.
Chris,
Still friends? Thanks for commenting; your wife's right. Phoenix has become Chicago in the desert.
Mike in Tucson
I love AzZ...I have spent some winters in Scottsdale but never Tucson...everyone has been telling me to check it out and your post is one more reason why I need to. Great post!
Shuki,
I'm glad you did. See you soon on your blog.
Mike in Tucson
Mike - Please tell me you didn't take the picture with the cat in it. Or if you did, there was at least a fence between you and it!
We used to call that rock formation Donald Duck. I wonder if that was official or if we just did that? That shot of the Rincon Mtns is very, very cool.
Mike,
Doreen McPherson turned me on to your blog as I was looking for things to do with my two young daughters. I forgot just how close Tucson is to us. and now that I am subscribing to your blog I can learn a lot about it before we visit.
Thank you for this series.
Paul Guenther
Paul and girls,
Welcome to the blog! I'll be right over to read yours.
Doreen,
Thanks for recruiting! It does look like Donald Duck, doesn't it? And the foggy morning gave a relief view of the Rincons that I'd never seen before.
Myrl,
I did take the photo of the mountain lion. You can take one too, if you'll visit our Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum.
Mike in Tucson
It's great that you continue to appreciate the beauty of your area. You do a beautiful presentation. Thanks.
John,
I just can't help myself! Thanks for the encouragement.
Mike in Tucson
Mike,
These are wonderful photos. You have created a beautiful presentation for us all to appreciate. Thanks you!
Dorie,
Thanks for commenting! I'll see you on your blog.
Mike in Tucson
Mike,
I do hope that the Chambedr of Commerce of Tucson knows about your posts with great photois They give a great feeling of the area.
Mike - What a terrific presentation, I love your use of photos to help tell the story.
Jennifer,
Thanks for the encouragement. I love taking photos.
Joel,
I don't know if they do--the Chamber of Commerce--but I hope so!
Mike in Tucson
Very informative, Mike. I lived in Phoenix for several years and never know any of those things about Tucson. Thanks for sharing the great information.