Today we are driving the beautiful Mount Lemmon Scenic Highway near Tucson, AZ. This 27-mile road takes us to the top of Mount Lemmon, the highest peak in the Santa Catalina Mountains. We are staying in Tucson this week for the Thanksgiving holiday, and family here recommended this drive. To read about our road trip here, check out: Our Road Trip from Florida to Arizona and Back.
Planning
The day after Thanksgiving, we are just hanging around Tucson with Becky’s uncle. Looking to get outside somewhere, he told us about this scenic drive. So, we leave our daughter with Becky’s cousin and kids and head out for the afternoon. The start of the drive is about 40 minutes away close to Saguaro National Park East. To read about our trip to Saguaro, read: Saguaro National Park East & West in a Day.
The Mount Lemmon Highway, also known as the Catalina Highway Scenic drive, is the only paved road to the top. This scenic drive starts in the Tucson desert climate and winds its way to over 9,100 feet. Being in the 80’s in Tucson, we are looking forward to cooler weather and bring some layers. Mount Lemmon is technically in the Coronado National Forest bordering Saguaro East just outside Tucson. You can read more about this scenic drive on their site at: Coronado National Forest – Catalina Highway Scenic Drive (usda.gov).
Starting the Mount Lemmon Scenic Drive
On the way we drive through the suburban town of Tanque Verde to the start of the scenic drive. We start around 2:30 knowing it will take about an hour to the top and sunset is usually by 4:30. There are multiple pullouts along the Mount Lemmon Scenic Highway. But we take our time going up knowing we can go faster on the way down.
At our first stop not far up the drive, we look back at Tucson. It is a good view of the desert climate in the area with the mountains surrounding it. Our next stop is at Thimble Peak where it overlooks Bear Canyon and nearby Sabino Canyon. We had heard Sabino Canyon is another popular place to visit in the Tucson area.
What is really neat about this drive is you pass through multiple climate zones. Starting in the desert, of course, this is the only place in Tucson to experience such changes as you drive up. Soon the Saguaros and other cacti fade as we see more grass and shrubs. And then they seem to be replaced by some interesting rock formations.
Rock Formations and Palisades Visitor Center
As we continue to drive up the winding road, we start to see interesting rock outcroppings. These rare rock formations are hoodoos made over millions of years. These hoodoos look like they could’ve been made by aliens, but are completely made by nature. We pass one that looks like a huge tortoise head!
We are also starting to see some more vegetation and eventually large trees. Trees are scarce in Tucson unless you include cactus. But at this elevation, the climate has changed and the weather is starting to get cold. We have driven from the desert climate to a forest climate.
As we get about half way up the road, we come across the Palisades Visitor Center. Normally we would love to pop into any visitor center to get more information about the area. However, the visitor center is currently closed due to Covid. So we take a picture by the sign to remember where we were and continue driving.
The Top of Mount Lemmon
At this point the Sun is getting lower and we are still climbing higher. We make it to the top where we pass a ski resort. We don’t see snow on the ground yet, but this place is popular in the winter. And apparently it’s the most southern ski resort in the United States. There is also an observatory up here, but it’s also closed. And we basically drive until we can’t go any further. We heard there is a nice restaurant up here somewhere, but we are still planning to return for dinner with our family. However, we do find the Mount Lemmon General Store.
We are able to park in front of the store and go in. The store has a good selection of souvenirs and snacks. It also has an assortment of fudge that has good reviews. We shop for a bit and determine it is time to go. By this time, it’s after 4:00 and we don’t want to be stuck driving this road at night.
Sunset on the Way Back
As we are driving back, the Sun is definitely setting. Arizona is known for its sunsets, and this drive doesn’t disappoint. Even though we want to get back before it’s too dark, we have to stop for this sunset.
As we continue driving, it gets dark between some bends, and then we turn a corner to see the Sun again. And by the time we get near the end, it seems like the whole sky is glowing orange and yellow.
Going through all the climate zones from desert to alpine forest and back in a few hours was awesome. But we could see driving this scenic drive just for the sunsets.
Summary
As we leave the scenic drive, there is a car stopped in front of us in the road. We don’t know why it’s stopped so we stop behind it. And then we see 2 coyotes walk past the car. What a way to end this beautiful drive. For us wanting to get away for a couple hours, this drive was great just going up and back. However, I could see spending more time exploring hiking trails and activities at the top. And the sunsets are amazing! Whether going up and back or exploring more, enjoy driving beautiful Mount Lemmon Scenic Highway!