Mount Lemmon

Mount Lemmon, named for botanist Sara Plummer Lemmon, lies 45-miles north of Tucson and is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest. The story goes that Sara and her husband John honeymooned in these mountains in 1880, and with the aid of E.O. Stratton, they eventually scaled the tallest peak, which they named in her honor – one of the few mountains named for a woman.

Frequent winter storms occurring here between mid-December and April deposit up to 200 inches of snow annually, but with temperatures ranging from 20 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the weather is often mild enough to ski in a sweater and jeans. However, the ski slopes are not groomed, which makes even the mild terrain challenging.

The ski lift runs even during the off-season taking visitors for a scenic Sky Ride from about 8200 foot elevation, to the summit at 9100 feet, covering about a mile over a 30-minute ride. (The day we were there the wind was blowing pretty hard, so the lifts weren’t operating.) Besides the ski resort, at the peak of the mountain is the Mount Lemmon Steward Observatory. Housed here are telescopes used for astronomical research by organizations such as the Catalina Sky Survey, The Mount Lemmon Sky Center, and the University of Arizona Astronomy Camp program, making this a unique research and teaching destination.

If skiing isn’t your thing, traversing the Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway to the top of the mountain (once the snow melts) is a drive not to be missed. The views alone along this 27-mile stretch of road make the drive well worth it, especially if you plan plenty of time for stopping in the multiple scenic viewpoints along the way.  Here you will find stunning views of hoodoos (stacked rock formations), canyons, mountains, desert landscapes, and as you get higher and higher, vegetation more typical of a mountain forest.

On the way down the mountain, Dan and I stopped at a few of the many hiking trails to get a little walking in, and to take in the scenery. We found wildflowers in bloom, busy bugs, nearly dry creek beds, and possibilities for future day hikes. It is easy to see why this area has been named one of the most scenic drives in southeast Arizona.