The highest peak in Tucson is Mount Wrightson, found in the Santa Rita Mountain range. It is 9,453 feet, making it about 10 miles roundtrip. While this is a very worthwhile hike with foliage reminiscent of northern Arizona, it is fairly ambitious. There are still plenty of other hikes, ranging in difficulty and elevation. I've taken the liberty of making a small table of my own favorite (and especially beautiful) hikes in Tucson. I rate the difficulty of each hike using this rating system from the Sierra Club. Some of my ratings are not consistent to the Sierra Club rating system, though, because I find that the elevation change in trails makes for a more difficult hike in some cases. Most of the hikes listed on this table are fairly light in traffic, excluding Sabino Canyon and Picacho Peak (both of which are very popular trails), so they are all nice if you are wanting some peace and quiet.
| Mountain | Length | Difficulty Rating | Estimated Hiking Time | Pets Allowed |
| Mt. Wrightson from Madera Canyon | 10.8 mi. | A | 6 hours | Yes |
| Mt. Lemmon Trail #5 | 5.8 mi. | B | 5-6 hours | No |
| Picacho Peak: Sunset Vista Trail | 6.2 miles | B | 3-4 hours | Yes |
| Wasson Peak | 6.5 miles | B | 4 hours | No |
| Romero Pools | 5.6 miles | C | 2-3 hours | No |
| Sabino Canyon: Seven Falls | 7.8 miles | C | 3-4 hours | No |
| Hutch's Pool | 8.2 miles | C | 4-5 hours | No |
While some of these hikes are rated C, this does not mean that they are easy necessarily. Most of the ratings are based simply on amount of elevation change (within so many miles). For instance, Hutch's Pool and Sabino Canyon's Seven Falls are both rated C, but both of them are also over 7 miles. Both of these trails are gorgeous and do not undergo a lot of elevation change, but I have found that neither of them are very easy. It is the length that makes them difficult despite their rating of C. Hiking time also varies depending on whether or not you take lunch breaks (Seven Falls is a great place to hang out and eat lunch near the waterfalls!) and the pace at which you go. As always, make sure to bring plenty of water, as many of these trails do not have places to refill water...and we do live in a desert.
If you're out taking your family for a hike and they're not from Tucson, I would recommend you hike some of the shorter trails or, if your family is at least somewhat fit, Sabino Canyon. My table does not have any hikes that are under 5 miles, unfortunately, so I would recommend going to this site and browsing through it to find some shorter hikes. The HoneyBee Canyon Trail is a fairly good hike to bring a family to. A lot of the nature trails and desert botanical gardens are great as well, if you're looking for an easier hike. Nonetheless, many people tend to underestimate what they are capable of as far as hiking goes, so I would suggest all of the C trails I listed to anyone. As mentioned previously, though, make sure to be safe if you are going to undertake any hike that may pose any challenge to you or your family.
