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Tucson Day TripsSomething for Everyone, About an Hour from Tucson
The city of Tucson has much to offer within its city limits, but packing up and taking off on any of numerous day trips
can add adventure to your southern Arizona vacation.
Hike to the top of a mountain.
Photograph desert animals and wildlfowers.
Shop artisans and outlets.
Relive history.
Even travel to another country
All about an hour from Tucson.
But before you jump into the car and head out, please take precautions to spare you from
frustrating, frightening and dangerous situations.
- Take plenty of bottled water,
especially if you will be hiking or wandering outdoors in the summer.
- Dress appropriately,
including comfy, sturdy shoes
- Take a fully-charged cell phone.
- Sunscreen!
- Don't forget the camera!
Okay, let's go on a road trip...
If you're vacationing
in Tucson for a week or two, clearly you can't see everything in one visit, so I'd recommend choosing day
trips that showcase southern Arizona's uniqueness, such as:
- Nogales, Mexico - Okay, this one's
not technically in Arizona, but if you've never been to Mexico or another border town, this is a cultural
eye opener.
- Arizona-Sonora Desert
Museum - A desert "zoo" with native desert animals and desert plants.
- Old Tucson Studios - Walk the
wooden sidewalks where many western movies were filmed, watch gunfights, take horse-drawn wagon tours.
- Tombstone - Step back in time
to the O.K. Corral where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday fought the McLaurys and Clantons. See daily re-enactments
of gunfights.
- Biosphere 2 - A self-contained,
enclosed "earth" that is home to research, teaching, and learning about Earth. Daily tours take you inside
the structure where 8 scientists lived exclusively for 2 years.
 More road trips...
If you're considering moving to Tucson, check out what the southwest has to offer for more frequent
getaways:
- A horseback riding trip into the mountains
- Hiking any of our many popular trails
- Mountain biking for bikers of all
experience levels
- Explore Arizona ghost towns
- Take a 4-wheeling Jeep tour
- and lots of other outdoor activities
And if those aren't enough or don't interest you,
here's a few more day trips to try:
- Outlet Malls
in Casa Grande offer about 40 stores including Bass Shoes, Big Dog Sportswear, Pfaltzgraff,
Samsonite, Izod, Artisan Jewelers, Steiner's Amish Furniture, Osh Kosh B'Gosh, and many more.
And The Foothills Mall in Tucson offers 90 stores, a movie theater, and more.
- Casa Grande Ruins National
Monument - See ruins from the Hohokam Indians who lived in the area from about 300AD to 1450AD
and are no longer around today.
- Colossal Cave - Where it's
always a cool (or warm) 70 degrees farenheight inside the cave. Also available outside are horseback
riding, hayrides, panning for gold, a butterfly garden, and desert tortoise exhibit, plus more.
- Kartchner Caverns State Park
- Just discovered by two hikers in 1974, this limestone cave only recently was opened to the public.
- Peppersauce Canyon - Hike and picnic in this hideaway on Mt. Lemmon's north slope.
Go spelunking in Peppersauce Cave.
- Mission San Xavier del Bac
- A historical Spanish mission built in 1700 by Father Kino, which is still being used for mass today.
- Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch - Feed ostrich and deer, step into the Lorikeet Forest,
take a Picacho Peak Monster Truck Tour.
- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - Drive, hike or camp among the organ pipe cactus,
which are very rare in Arizona
- Apple Annie's Farm - Pick fresh apples and veggies,
including pumpkins depending on the time of year. Visit their gift store and bake shop.
Enjoy an all you can eat pancake breakfast or apple-smoked burger lunches.
- Tubing the Salt River - This day trip is actually about 2 hours away, but a
favorite amongst many Tucsonans. Grab a cooler full of snacks and drinks, drive to Phoenix,
and float down the Salt River for a few hours. (Open May - Sept, while the water's warmer.)
Plus, many surrounding towns
have plenty to explore in and of themselves!
What's YOUR Favorite Tucson Day Trip?
What has been your favorite or most memorable day trip around the Tucson area?
Readers' Favorite Day Trips
Click the links to read about other AroundTucson.com visitors' favorite day trips.
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