Wasson Peak Hike (Saguaro National Park, Tucson, AZ)

The week following the Prison Camp hike (see post below), Dan and I once again joined the hiking group from our RV Park for another trek into the desert and mountains, this time to Wasson Peak. At first glance, it would seem that most desert hikes in the Tucson area are all the same. And there is no doubt about it, in this environment you will see acres and acres of cactus (especially the ever-present Saguaro and Teddy Bear Cholla), with a landscape that appears to be unchanging, as far as the eye can see. But, if you pay close enough attention, you will find something unique on every trail – variation in plant life, subtle changes in color, light, and shadow, the absence or presence of water, views from the top of the mountain, and possibly even wildlife sightings. 

Our January 26^th hike began at the Hugh Norris Trail located in the Saguaro National Park, and is the most popular choice for reaching Wasson Peak, climbing about 2200-feet and 5.5-miles before reaching the top. Although it was an effort to make this climb, the sweeping panoramas from the summit were well worth it, including the Brown Mountain and Golden Gate Mountain to the south, the Rincon and Santa Catalina mountain ranges to the east, and Mount Lemmon (one of the Tucson area’s tallest mountains) to the east. After a brief rest at the summit for lunch, and to take in the views, it was 5.5-miles back down the hill. But, I found it hard to complain too much after finding out that two of the men in our group were aged 88 and 89 (and one of them a hike leader). To me, that was as impressive as everything else about this hike!