Five-Star Trails: Tucson

At an elevation of roughly 2,500 feet, Tucson's majestic and diverse landscape has brought two national park districts (Saguaro National Park East & West) and a national forest (Coronado National Forest) to the city's doorstep. Outdoor enthusiasts can also enjoy Sabino Canyon, Mount Lemmon, the Santa Catalina foothills, and the Tucson Mountains, all just a short distance from downtown Tucson. So it's no surprise that Tucson-based outdoor and travel writer Rob Rachowiecki refers to the city as a "hiker's nirvana."
"Having been born and raised in England, and then having spent a good chunk of my early adult years hiking and climbing in the Andes, I was not very prepared for Tucson summers," he explains. "Happily, I discovered I could escape into the mountain ranges surrounding the city, where the forests provided ideal conditions for enjoying the outdoors."
Given the dense network of trails available in the Tucson area, Rachowiecki cuts to the quick to find the area's absolute best hiking for people of all abilities. A one-stop-shop, this guide includes some of the roughest, longest day hikes in the nearby mountainous regions, as well as hikes of more moderate length and some very easy, short strolls that are more accessible, perfect for families with small children or people with limited mobility. Rachowiecki also provides his personal recommendations for hiking trails ideal for geology buffs, history lovers, family outings, mountain summits, seasonal water features, and wheelchair accessibility, among other categories. Hikers will also find detailed driving directions to trailheads, along with original, GPS-based trail maps and elevation profiles for each trail.

Rob Rachowiecki was raised in London and climbed his first mountain by accident, while on a school biology field course in Scotland. After a day of dissecting newts, he walked to the top of a windswept hill behind the outdoor studies center, looked around at miles of startling wilderness, and had an "I'm the king of the world!" revelation.
Rob crossed the pond in 1974, planning on traveling around the world but ending up living and traveling throughout the Americas, from Alaska to Argentina. He has authored hiking and climbing guides to Central America and the Central Andes, as well as travel guides to Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the American Southwest for publishers ranging from Lonely Planet to National Geographic. He has been an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers since 1997.
From 1983 to 2008, Rob worked as an adventure-travel guide, leading treks in the Andes and adventures on the Amazon. Since 1990 he has lived in Tucson, where he earned a master's degree at the University of Arizona and where he enjoys the area's varied ethnic restaurants, theatres, and outdoor music festivals. He is often found hiking the many desert, canyon, and mountain trails surrounding Tucson, following the seasonal changes, and usually doing a spot of bird-watching, as Brits are wont to do.