Tumamoc Hill

TUMAMOC HILL

View of Santa Catalina Mountains from Tumamoc Hill

Just about everybody putting one foot in front of the other on Tumamoc Hill does so with a goal in mind, and the volcanic mesa just off Interstate 10 in Tucson holds enough interest to satisfy the physical and mental aims of its assorted visitors. Among the thousands who trudge up the distinctive  3,107-foot mound each year are casual walkers, spandex-clad runners, sightseers and families pushing strollers.  

See-forever views on Tumamoc Hill summit

In terms of popularity, the road/trail within the  860-acre University of Arizona ecological preserve rivals the likes of iconic Phoenix trails like Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak in visitation.

Tumamoc Hill is a wildlife sanctuary

The hill’s magnetic quality can be attributed to numerous factors. It’s close to town, easy to access and the approachable paved trail offers a moderate workout packed with educational opportunities.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975, the U of A Desert Laboratory which sits on a saddle halfway up the hill, is dedicated to ecological preservation and is a center of research, education and finding science-based solutions to challenges faced in the Sonoran Desert.

Tumamoc Hill is home to U of A Desert Laboratory

Visitors interested in augmenting their hike can download the Tumamoc Tour app. It’s an hour-long audio-video companion for smart devices that serves as a virtual docent that expounds upon on the history, ecology, archeology and native wildlife and plants encountered along the way up the hill.  

Colorful brittlebush color the hill's volcanic slopes

Even without the app, strategically-placed interpretive signs illustrate key points of interest such as the Agave Heritage Garden and an overview of the Desert Laboratory complex. 

Tumamoc Hill is an outdoor classroom

One sign explains that the name Tumamoc Hill derives from the Tohono O’odham language and means “Horned Lizard Mountain”.  Specifically, the eponymous reptile is the Regal Horned Lizard, which is the only species that lives on the hill, is an apt ambassador for the dozens of animals that thrive within the sanctuary.

The second half of the hike is steep

The 1.5-mile serpentine road hike that ascends the hill’s north face begins its 700+-foot climb on an easy grade.

An app and signs provide teaching moments

  The going gets demonstrably steeper beyond the Desert Laboratory site where  hikers can refill water bottles, take a break at benches placed at scenic overlooks or make use of the portable restrooms.  Beyond the laboratory, the road turns upward on a series of switchbacks that get more vertical at each turn and reveal vistas of the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north and nearby Sentinel Peak (2,897 feet) that’s better know as “A Mountain”. 

Saguaros line the road up Tumamoc Hill

Distant glimpses of Picacho Peak and Mount Wrightson peer out above the urban grid of downtown Tucson and surrounding suburbs topping out with a see-forever summit panorama.

Mountain vistas abound on Tumamoc Hill

Restored greenhouse at the Desert Laboratory

LENGTH: 3 miles roundtrip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  2,339 – 3,098 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 10 in Tucson, take the Speedway Blvd./St. Mary’s Road  exit 257. Follow the frontage road south and turn right onto St. Mary’s Road. Continue 0.93 mile to Silverbell Road, turn left and go 0.2-mile to Anklam Road. Turn right on Anklam and go 0.15-mile to the trailhead at Tumamoc Hill Road across from St Mary’s Hospital. Park along the street, not in the medical facilities parking lots.

HOURS: 4 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily

RULES: Pets, bikes and skate boards are not allowed. Hikers must stay on the paved road.

INFO:

https://tumamoc.arizona.edu/tumamoc-hill/overview

 

Bottom Out - Roundabout Loop

BOTTOM OUT - ROUNDABOUT LOOP

A typical scene on the Bottom Out trail

Usually, getting to the good stuff takes effort.

The beginning of the Bottom Out trail is just an appetizer

This is especially true of hiking where the juiciest routes are often remote, tangential paths diverging from heavily traveled routes in popular outdoor destinations.
While many trail systems offer groomed and signed paths that range from super easy to difficult, the unpolished character of a place often resides at the raw end of the spectrum. 

Easy going on the Roundabout trail

Sedona’s Western Gateway Area trail system builds on this theme with a

serpentine maze of interconnected loops that straddle a hilly pocket of Coconino National Forest on the far west side of town. But instead of its wild side being inaccessible to most, this system’s rough-cut gem spins off an easy trail less than a mile from a trailhead and appeals to hikers with a sense of adventure, experience and sturdy boots with good traction.

Bottom Out trail traces Dry Creek

The compact system of singletrack paths unwinds around the chiseled course of Dry Creek where the terrain shuffles among high ridgelines with epic vistas of Red Rock County’s iconic rock formations, fractured drainages, cypress and oak woodlands and sunny yucca-studded grasslands. Comprised of short, connecting segments, the trails don’t linger too long in any one ecozone. 

One of the many obstacles on the Bottom Out trail

A riparian zone in Dry Creek seen from Bottom Out trail

Instead, they soar over exposed ledges, dip into gullies and ramble through leafy riparian corridors in  seamless, smooth-moving cycles. 

Bottom Out trail dodges a gorge on Dry Creek

To sample the best of the system’s highs and lows in one swooping loop that runs through the system’s aforementioned raw end, try a circuit that uses the Bottom Out and Roundabout trails. These two trails reside in the system’s south central core just steps from the Cultural Park trailhead off State Route 89A. Finding the route is a bit confusing at first. Begin with a short walk on the Girdner trail, then head right onto the Outer Limits trail. Cross a dirt road and veer left to continue another 0.3-mile on Outer Limits to the Bottom Out junction. A wooden sign post points into a dry wash.  If the beginning a the Bottom Out trail looks sketchy—wait. That’s just an appetizer.

Girdner trail is used as a connector path on this circuit

The route is a veritable roller coaster of obstacles, down-climbs and stony passages.  Completely devoid of signage, the 1.3-mile trail is a joy for those who prefer less-travelled trails with a few baked-in challenges.  Rated difficult for hikers and very difficult for mountain bikers, the ragged route roughly traces Dry Creek, which usually lives up to its name. 

A slickrock passage on Bottom Out trail

It’s essential to pay attention to route-finding on this one where the trail dives deeper into the creek corridor. The trail is sometimes in the creek, sometimes on ledges above and sometimes slipping over slickrock, all the while crossing from bank-to-bank with no particular agenda.

Rock ledges on Roundabout trail

 

Bear Mountain viewed from Roundabout trail

The most fun parts of the trail are the rock jams and drop offs that must be worked around using creative route scouting. Mostly canyon-bound and shady, the Bottom Out trail delivers its deepest and final stony obstacle just before it exits the creek corridor and begins a short uphill crawl out of the sheer-walled canyon.  

Point where Bottom Out trail leaves the canyon

The mild climb ends back on the Girdner trail junction where views of the Cockscomb formation and Bear Mountain stand out to the north.  Each trail junction has an excellent map sign for customizing hikes. For this circuit, head right and follow Girdner 0.6-mile to the Roundabout trail.

Route-finding skills are needed on Bottom Out trail

 

The Roundabout leg of the hike is an easy-rated, entertaining muddling of tight bends and edgy traverses all backed by a carousel of changing views that include Mingus and Woodchute mountains, distinctive Capitol Butte and the long mesas of Wilson Mountain.  Sort of like an inside-out version of the Bottom Out trail, this 1.7-mile segment trades a viewless, cloistered obstacle course with an easy glide on open terrain with big mountain vista. 

There are no signs like this one on Bottom Out trail

And, unlike the hunt-and-peck nature of its companion, a clear path and excellent signage guide hikers home without a single obstacle in the way.

LENGTH: 4.1-mile loop (as described here)

RATING: moderate-difficult

ELEVATION: 4,154 - 4,492 feet

GETTING THERE:

Girdner-Cultural Park trailhead.

From the State Route 89A/179 traffic circle in Sedona, head 4.2 miles west (go left through the circle) on 89A to Cultural Park Way (traffic signal). Turn right and continue 0.3-mile to the Girdner Trailhead on the right. Trailhead has picnic tables and a map kiosk but no restrooms or water.

INFO:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/coconino/