Tucson, AZ

As a health conscious mom without ready access to a babysitter (and a few extra pounds of “baby weight”), Tumamoc Hill is a godsend. The trail is located in Tucson Arizona right off of 1-10 at St. Mary’s and Speedway. It is 3.1 miles in length and takes about an hour to complete at a moderate pace. It is also well paved and wide, which of course for me means that strollers can be taken up and down the mountain without difficulty.

To be honest, when a friend of mine suggested going up this particular trail, I was a little skeptical. We are both new moms, so I didn’t think hiking or being out on a nature trail with our children at all was really an option for another ten years or so. But, happily the trail offered lots of nature to show our kids, great views, and a good workout for both of us. Additionally the evenly placed stopping points gave us good opportunities to settle fussy babies, take water breaks, and enjoy the view.

Of course, there were plenty of folks there who weren’t moms walking up the trail to get some exercise and enjoy the scenery. Since there is a great view of downtown Tucson as well as lots of nature to take in, there were lots of different types of people enjoying the quiet evening in the desert. Many people were out with friends or co-workers for an after work hike, and lots of younger couples walked the trail holding hands and enjoying the spectacular sunset along the way.

As for the trail itself, it starts out easy. Then the incline starts rising until the end where it gets almost difficult. For the experienced hiker, Tumamoc Hill probably wouldn’t be incredibly taxing, but for a beginner or a mom with a stroller, it’s a work-out. After pushing my 20-pound five-month old more than 3 miles up the hill and back, I was sore the next day!

I should mention that Tumamoc Hill is not exclusively a hiking trail; it’s actually an active ecological research center for the University of Arizona. That means that the general public is not allowed to visit from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. during the week because of the scientific activities that go on during the day. The hill might also occasionally be closed for several weeks at a time for research purposes. During the weekends, however, it’s open all day.

Aside from the few times during the year it might be closed, Tumamoc Hill is a great place to get out, see nature, and enjoy the beautiful sunset landscape of the desert. I highly recommend going with a friend, as it is a great place to walk, run, or just simply enjoy the views with the safety of a paved road. So grab your water bottle and head out to enjoy this Tucson treasure!