Best Of Tucson®

Best Backpacking Trail

Sabino Canyon (general)

On the edge of our fair city, just before the wilds take over, there is a portal. The $5 usage fee does not protect our innocent citizenry from the savagery of nature, nor does it protect delicate wildflowers from the cruelty that a hiking boot can wreak. Sabino Canyon connects us to what is natural, the sleeping giant inside, man's own beastliness and cunning. The canyon offers access to trails stretching out like a silky web over the Santa Catalinas, including a 6.2-mile hike to the pre-legendary Arizona Trail. Or for a breathtaking view, hike 2.3 miles to the sheer drop of Blackett's Ridge. Onward and upward.

Runners up:

2. Catalina State Park (general)

3. Arizona Trail