Best Of Tucson®

Best Recreation Area in Southern Arizona

Sabino Canyon

Located at the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Sabino Canyon has two shuttle routes, 89 picnic tables and nature, hiking and equestrian trails. With a visitors' center, dozens of conveniently located toilets, rattlesnakes, mountain lions, scorpions and ants, all for a low, low price of $5 (or $20 for a year-round pass), Sabino Canyon has got something for everybody. If you want to take your out-of-town visitors to see what the Sonoran Desert actually looks like instead of having to imagine it through strip malls and housing developments, Sabino's the place for you. For information on trail closures and other flood-related phenomena, call 388-8300.

Runners up:

2. Mount Lemmon

3. Madeira Canyon, www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/recreation/camping/sites/madera.shtml