The hills and mountains to the east of Tuscon are home to Saguoro National Park Wilderness and Tuscon Mountains Park.   We started the Kings Canyon Trail inside the National Park, but continued up the canyon, bearing northeast,  climbing about 488 m over 9.5 km.

Desert scrub brush and wildflowers were framed by saguaros, cholla, and ocotillos.

This was spring, so wildflowers were in bloom alongside the trail as we climbed higher into the hills.   Click any image for a caption.

trailing windmills

ocotillo

scorpionweed

brittlebrush

desert chicory

The well-established trail followed the canyon to a rocky ridge below Wasson Peak.   Several loop routes are possible and we chose to come back on a parallel trail in the next canyon for a 9 km loop.

We could spot Tuscon 12 km east through a notch in the hills.

A canyon towhee kept an eye on us as we stopped for lunch at our high point below Wasson Mountain.

Saguoro were abundant.   They grow slowly and don’t produce arms until between 75 and 100 years.   Some can grow to 40 feet.   This one had more character than all of its neighbours.

We only hiked one day in this area, but we are keen to return to do more hikes in the Sonoran Desert hills.