• Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway - A captivating aspect of this highway is the noticeable climate change experienced during the drive. It feels like traveling vertically across the US, from south to north, due to the 6,000-foot elevation gain!

Note: Each tour spans over 15 miles, includes more than 40 audio stories, and takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete.

Enjoy new, lifetime access with no expiration. Use it anytime, on any trip, as often as you like.

• Soldier Trail - Soldier Trail is just ahead. This demanding 5-mile out-and-back hike showcases Saguaro, prickly pears, and a 2,000-foot elevation gain!
• Babad Do’ag Scenic Overlook - Babad Do’ag Scenic Overlook is approaching. This viewpoint offers a view of Tucson and the surrounding mountains. The Babad Do’ag trail also starts here, offering a moderate 4.5-mile hike through Saguaros, chollas, and ocotillos.
• Molino Canyon Vista - Molino Canyon is one of the many boulder-filled canyons in the Catalina Mountains. At an elevation of about 4,000 feet, the mountain’s ecosystem begins to change. At the overlook and the mountain it faces, you’ll see native grasses, tall spindly ocotillo, tufted desert broom, and a colorful flowering shrub called pink fairy duster.
• Bug Spring Trailhead - This challenging 10-mile out-and-back trail takes five hours and offers a bit of everything. The route begins in the desert terrain of the Catalina foothills, switchbacks up to a secluded pine forest with creek crossings, and ends in the Bear Canyon Picnic Area. The total elevation gain is 2,000 feet, enough to feel the atmosphere get thinner and the temperature cooler.
• Middle Bear Picnic Area - Did you pack your sandwiches? We’re about to pass one of the highway’s best picnic spots! The Middle Bear picnic area is nestled alongside Bear Canyon, comfortably sheltered by ponderosa pines. You can see the rest of the canyon below. On the opposite slope, you’ll see a unique sculpture garden created by erosion and landslides.
• Manzanita Vista - Manzanita Vista is up ahead, offering views of a lush manzanita grove. You can identify manzanita by their smooth, bright red bark and gnarled branches. Manzanitas thrive here because they can survive with poor soil and little water. They have adapted to the harshest growing conditions, and so they have absolutely no competition from other plants.
• Windy Point Vista - The view at Windy Point is unbeatable. You can see all the way from the desert at the base of the mountain to the subalpine summit. You’ll get to take in the entire biodiversity of Mount Lemmon in one panorama!
• Geology Vista Point - Geology Point Vista is ahead, offering views of hoodoos. A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock like a naturally occurring skyscraper. Hoodoos only develop in dry, hot climates.
• Duck Head Rock - Coming up is Duck Head Rock. This is one of Mount Lemmon’s most beloved landmarks, and you can probably guess why. This rock formation is shaped like a duck’s head with a long bill!
• Hoodoo Vista - Up ahead is Hoodoo Vista, another overlook featuring unique geological formations. For a look at these fascinating hoodoos, park in the turnout just ahead. Otherwise, continue driving.
• Rose Canyon Lake - You probably don’t usually associate “Arizona” with “fishing.” Rose Canyon Lake is here to change your mind! This peaceful spot rarely sees the crowds who visit other attractions along the route, making it perfect to enjoy a moment of solitude.
• Palisades Visitor Center - Need a restroom break? Turn left onto East Organization Ridge Road to visit the Palisades Visitor Center. Otherwise, continue straight.
• Butterfly Trailhead - Butterfly Trail is up ahead. This challenging 11-mile hike is certainly scenic, but the biggest attraction can be found three miles in. That’s where an unofficial trail breaks off and leads to… a crashed F86 fighter jet from 1957! Wait, what? How did that happen?
• Aspen Vista - Aspen Vista Point is up ahead, at an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet! On a clear day, you can see 50 miles away! The ridge rising out of the horizon is another sky island chain called the Galiuro Mountains. The two ranges are separated by a valley that plunges over 5,000 feet. The San Pedro River flows through the gulf between the mountains.
• Red Ridge Trailhead - Just ahead is Red Ridge Trail. This moderate 10-mile trail gets its name from the red dirt that forms the path. The distinctive Sonoran Desert brick-colored soil is caused by weathering of minerals that contain a lot of iron. Or, as you probably know it, rust. The dirt here is exposed to the elements, just like when you leave your bicycle out in the rain.
• Mt Lemmon Ski Valley - Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is up ahead. Where you have an alpine mountain top, a ski resort can’t be far behind! Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is here for all your winter sporting needs.
• Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory - The SkyCenter did NOT start out as an observatory. The government established a radar station at this location in 1956 during the height of Cold War paranoia. They wanted to scan the skies for enemy planes and missiles. For 10 years, Mount Lemmon was the highest continually-operating radar station in the world. 80 men worked at the radar station, most of whom lived at the facility full-time. After all, it would’ve been too much trouble to constantly trek up and down the mountain!
• Saguaro National Park - Welcome to your tour of West Saguaro National Park! From mountain formations to colorful historical characters, Hollywood history to prickly cacti, there’s plenty to marvel at on this tour.
• Old Tucson - The park has since been rebuilt and remains open to the public today. To visit the park, take the turn that’s just ahead. Otherwise, continue driving straight.
• Gates Pass Scenic Lookout - The Gates Pass Scenic Lookout is coming up next, offering great views of Tucson’s ancient rock formations. There’s a trail as well, which I’ll talk more about when we’re closer to it.
• Brown Mountain Trailhead - Coming up soon is the Brown Mountain Trail. It’s a 5-mile loop trail that’s moderately challenging and should take under two hours to complete. Some hikers have reported coyote sightings on this trail. It’s not uncommon to hear coyote sounds echoing across Saguaro National Park.
• Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - Coming up are the King Canyon Trail and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The trail is a moderately challenging 7-mile trail that should take about four hours to complete. It’s a lot of work, but it features fabulous desert views along the way!
• King Canyon Trail - Coming up are the King Canyon Trail. The trail is a moderately challenging 7-mile trail that should take about four hours to complete. It’s a lot of work, but features fabulous desert views along the way!
• Desert Discovery Nature Trail - The Desert Discovery Nature Trail is coming up soon, a straightforward half-mile hike boasting tons of the famous saguaro cacti! Speaking of cacti, did you know a bunch of species are edible? This doesn’t mean you should go plucking them to taste on your walks.
• Hugh Norris Trail - The Hugh Norris Trail is coming up soon. It’s a challenging 9-mile trail often traveled by horseback riders! It gets its name from 20th-century tribal police officer Hugh Norris. He was often out scouring for truant children for the Fort Yuma Indian School.
• Valley View Overlook Trail - The Valley View Overlook Trail is coming up soon. It’s an easy 1-mile trail that takes about 20 minutes to complete. The Civilian Conservation Corps built this trail in the 1930s!
• Signal Hill Trail - Signal Hill has about 200 prehistoric petroglyphs made by the Hohokam, who lived in this area from about 450 to 1450 C.E. Indigenous people say that each petroglyph placement isn’t random!
• Rincon Mountain Visitor Center - Welcome to East Saguaro National Park! Ancient cultures, ancient rocks, and trails await you on this tour. Our tour begins at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center at 3693 S Old Spanish Trail, Tucson. If you’re not there already, you should head there now. To begin your tour, simply continue straight along Cactus Forest Drive.
• Sonoran Desert Overlook - The Sonoran Desert Overlook is coming up. It’ll be on our left, offering gorgeous views of the landscape and cacti. The Hohokam, ancestors of the O’odham people, were some of the first to call this desert home. This resourceful group slowly gave up their nomadic hunting-gathering lifestyle for a more settled farming life, developing a distinct desert culture.
• Future Generations Overlook - The Cactus Forest Overlook is coming up soon. It will be on our left. Here, you’ll enjoy overlooking an oasis of cacti. Sure, the saguaro cacti are the most famous since they’re exclusive to the Sonoran, but the park actually hosts about 25 species of cacti! These include prickly pears and chollas, as well as some lesser known cacti.
• Mica View Trailhead - Coming up is the Mica View trailhead. It leads to a 4-mile loop trail that’s considered easy and should take less than ninety minutes to complete. There’s a sweet picnic spot, too! From there, you’ll get great views of the Rincon and Santa Catalina Mountains. Keep an eye out for birds like the Gila Woodpeckers and Gilded Flickers.
• Cactus Forest Trail - Up ahead is the Cactus Forest Trail. It’s a moderately challenging 10-mile route that should take about three and a half hours to complete. On this trail, you can see lime kilns that date back to 1880.
• Loma Verde Trail - The Loma Verde Trail is coming up next. This easy 3.7-mile loop should take about an hour and fifteen minutes to complete. The trail crosses a seasonal stream and leads to a gradual downhill walk through the cactus forest.
• Garwood Dam - There’s also the opportunity to explore the Garwood Dam. In 1945, Tucson residents Josephine and Nelson Garwood bought 450 acres of land from two homesteaders. Three years later, while constructing a bigger house, they noticed that the Wildhorse Canyon behind their property always held water.
• Riparian Overlook - Up ahead is the Riparian Overlook. Some claim this is the best view of the cactus forest! From here, you can see clear across the sprawling saguaro wilderness. One thing you can’t see from up there? Rattlesnakes.
• Rincon Mountains - Off to our left are the Rincon Mountains. They’re pretty, but they’ve also got some wild history. On August 29, 1984, a Cessna 310 flew above these mountains. Four people sat inside the twin-engine aircraft. Outside, a thunderstorm raged and raged.
• Javelina Rocks - We’re approaching the Javelina Rocks. These rocks are named after javelina, a dog-sized animal found in this region that resembles a wild boar. They have short coarse salt and pepper hair, with short legs and pig-like noses.
• Tanque Verde Ridge Trail - The Tanque Verde Ridge Trail is coming up soon, at the end of our tour. I’ll tell you when we get there. The trail is a moderately challenging 3-mile route that should take under two hours to complete.

• Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
• Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
• Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
• Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
• Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
• Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
• Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
• Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!

• Entrance fees, in-person guide, headphones, transport, parking, food,Wi-Fi or cellular data, rentals

Experience the stunning desert landscapes just outside Tucson with these self-guided driving tours of Mount Lemmon and Saguaro National Park! Discover a forest filled with saguaro cacti, where expansive skies offer the ideal chance to delve into history, capture the perfect photo, and embrace your inner cowboy. Then, ascend to the peaks of Mount Lemmon, showcasing breathtaking mountain views, ancient forests, and a wealth of intriguing stories along the journey.

It’s recommended to purchase one tour per vehicle so everyone can listen simultaneously!

After booking, check your email or text messages to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the specified starting point.

Enjoy new, lifetime access with no expiration. Use it anytime, on any trip, as often as you like.

Please note, this is not an entrance ticket. Verify opening hours before your visit.

• How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
• How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
• Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
• Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
• Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
• New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
• Audio Setup: Connect your phone to your car’s stereo system using Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. For the best experience, consider using headphones for walking tours. Audio playback is compatible with Apple CarPlay, with navigation features coming soon. Support for Android Auto is also on the way.
• The tour requires a supported mobile device for navigation. Please use an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, an Android device with Android 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular service.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.