- Arizona County HP: #4
- Difficulty: ⭐️ (on a scale of 4)
- Summit Elevation: 9,157 feet
- Mountain Range: Santa Catalina Mountains
- Ancestral Lands: O’odham Jewed, Sobaipuri, Western Apache, Hohokam, Tohono O’odham
PLANNING DETAILS
Location: Mt. Lemmon is located in the Coronado National Forest a 30-mile north of Tucson, AZ. The closest small town with amenities is Summerhaven, a tiny tourist town with a general store and a handful of small restaurants.
When to Visit: This high point is accessible year-round, but spring and fall are the best seasons. Visitors should note that Mt. Lemmon receives up to 180 inches of snow each year and is home to the southernmost ski resort in the U.S.
Fees/Permits Required: None
Getting There: The most common hiking routes begins near the Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley ski resort approximately 2 miles below the summit.
Directions from Tucson:
Regarded as one of the more scenic drives in Arizona, visitors should allot 60-90 minutes to navigate the curvy highway that leads from Tucson up to Summerhaven. Begin by driving to the northeast side of Tucson, where you catch E. Catalina Highway as it heads north. Over the next 29 miles, this two-lane highway will change names to E. Mt. Lemmon Highway and then N. General Hitchcock Highway. Just before outskirts of Summerhaven, turn right on E. Ski Run Road and follow the signs for Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley.
Parking: A paved parking area with room for roughly 40 cars is open year-round near the Iron Door Restaurant (across from the entrance of Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley). There are no amenities at the trailhead, and the restaurant and ski resort have limited hours.
Pets Allowed: Yes. However, dogs are not permitted to wander more than 400 feet off-trail between January 1 to April 30 each year due to the Bighorn Sheep lambing season.
Kid Friendly: Yes.
The Summit:
Mt. Lemmon’s summit was once a U.S. Air Force radar site for Air Defense Command. Today it’s home to an Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter astronomical observatory operated by the University of Arizona.
NOTE: Visitors who wish to stand the summit should coordinate in advance with the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter at (520) 626-8122. The SkyCenter operates the two largest telescopes in the Southwestern US from here, and there’s a chainlink fence and gate surrounding the summit to manage access.
TRIP SUMMARY
Date Visited: February 20, 2024
Route Used: E. Ski Run Road (winter route) from Mt. Lemmon’s Ski Valley – 3.8 miles round-trip
This highpointing adventure was my second time hiking on Mt. Lemmon’s upper slopes.
My first experience was during my 800-mile Arizona Trail thru-hike in 2022. It took me 180 miles of hiking and backpacking to get there from the Mexico border, and I genuinely loved the experience of hiking through the Pusch Ridge Wilderness on the mountain’s southern side. But I didn’t actually get to tag Mt. Lemmon’s summit during that visit. The Arizona Trail came within a mile of the summit, but then turned east toward the town of Summerhaven instead of going up and over the peak.
When I returned to Mt. Lemmon in 2024, it was with the primary goal of reaching Pima County’s highest point. So my plan this time around was to drive the majority of the way there, and just hike the final two miles on foot.
My timing wasn’t particularly great though. A major snow storm came through Arizona about a week before my visit, and it dropped some significant snow on the mountains. All the trails above 7,000 feet were totally covered by several feet of fresh powder and I didn’t have skis or show shoes to hike on them.
The only reliable way to get to the summit during this wintertime visit would be to drive up to the Mt. Lemmon’s Ski Valley. From there, I’d make my final trek up the paved road (E. Ski Run Road) leading to the SkyCenter Observatory.
The recent snow wasn’t the only obstacle on this particular highpointing trip either. I also had to deal with a car issue! When I walked out of my AirBnB in Tucson with all my day hiking gear and coffee, I made the unpleasant discovery that one of my rear tires was completely flat.
Less than an hour later I had the SUV’s spare tire on. But it was one of those small “donut” spare tires, so the car rental company wanted me to detour over to the Tucson airport to swap out vehicles on my contract. Thus, I spent the bulk of my morning tending to this minor headache rather than heading to Pima County’s high point.
The drive up South Mt. Lemmon Highway was a curvy and slow drive. It’s often listed as one of the most scenic drives in Arizona, and it didn’t disappoint as it climbed upward from Tucson’s 2,400 feet elevation up into the Santa Catalina Mountains. But mostly, I was amazed to see how many spandex-clad cyclists were riding up this 30-mile long ascent. My leg muscles were tired just watching them.
After more than an hour of driving past scenic overlooks and rocky outcroppings, I finally made it to the turn off for Mt. Lemmon’s Ski Valley. The ski resort wasn’t open this Tuesday afternoon, so it was quieter than it might have otherwise been this time of year. And I had no trouble finding parking in the flat parking lot beside the Iron Door restaurant.
East Ski Run Road continued uphill beyond the ski resort, but visitors weren’t permitted to drive to the summit this time of year. A steel swing-arm gate crossed over the roadway preventing traffic from heading up on the remainder of the curvy, paved road. The only vehicles allowed to proceed were those managed by the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter observatory.
If it were less snowy, I really would have preferred to hike the remainder of the way up Mt. Lemmon using the Aspen Draw Trail (which also begins at the ski resort). But all the hiking trails at this elevation were currently buried under several feet of hard-packed snow. So I’d have to walk the plowed, traffic-free road instead.
I ducked under the gate and began walking up the road, and I was genuinely surprised at how chilly it was up here. When I left Tucson around lunchtime, it was approaching 70 degrees. Yet, it was easily 20-25 degrees cooler up at this elevation. Thank goodness I’d remembered to bring my vest and some warm gloves!
Despite the recent snowfall in Arizona, the road itself was actually in pretty good condition. There were certainly a few sketchier places. But none of it was serious enough to require pulling on my microspikes.
After a mile and a half, the road made a tight hairpin turn and then signs for Mt. Lemmon’s Day Use Area appeared. The seasonal park was closed still, but this was the spot where I crossed paths with the only other group I’d see on the mountain that afternoon. A family with two small kids and a dog were out enjoying the snow and taking in the panoramic views of Tucson to our south.
The only real hiccup I encountered on this super easy trek was at the summit itself. I’d naively assumed that just because the summit was on public land managed by the USFS, I would just be able to walk to the highest point without any coordination. Alas, that was not to be the case.
When I got about 500 feet away from the summit, a large chainlink fence blocked my progress. I was at nearly the same vertical elevation at the summit, but I was stuck outside a locked gate for the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter observatory. And even though there were several vehicles parked on the opposite side of the fence, there didn’t seem to be any people moving around inside the perimeter.
The absence of people meant I couldn’t politely plead my case to be let in for a quick 2-minute visit. I wasn’t there to take a paid tour of the observatory or look at the sky through their enormous telescopes. I just wanted to stand on the survey marker at the summit – which honestly was probably still buried under several feet of snow.
Speaking of snow, it was currently piled so dang high here that it actually went above the 6-foot fence blocking the entrance. So if I weren’t such a rule follower (and didn’t want to keep my security clearance), I probably could have simply walked up the snow bank, stepped over the top of the fence, and trekked back down the opposite side for a surreptitious summit visit. But it’s not my style. The fence was there for a reason, and they undoubtedly had security cameras.
Instead, I took my photos from my bird’s eye position on the top of the snow bank. I might not have stood on the exact apex of Mt. Lemmon, but I had gone as far as was open to the public, and that was good enough for this highpointer today.
On my way back down the paved road to the car, I decided to take a quick detour over to the Mt. Lemmon Day Use Area where I’d seen the family playing with their dog. Near one spot with some great views, someone had built a snowman. And I got one of them to take my photo with so I could celebrate my 4th Arizona county high point in style!
BONUS MATERIAL
Alternate Routes:
- Mt. Lemmon Day Use Area (0.5 miles round-trip). When E. Ski Run Road is fully open to traffic, visitors can drive all the way up to the Mt. Lemmon Day Use Area located approximately 0.25 miles below the summit. This small park has picnic tables, vault toilets, and offers access to several nearby trails in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. Parking costs $8/day or $10/week.
- Aspen Draw Trail (4.1 miles round-trip). The primary route used to ascend Mt. Lemmon is the Aspen Draw Trail #423, which begins at Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley. The trail initially heads east (paralleling E. Ski Run Road) for 0.2 miles before taking a right sharp turn and beside the ski slopes. After 1.4 miles, the Aspen Draw Trail intersects with Radio Ridge #18 and a wide trail leads west to E. Ski Run Road near the Mt. Lemmon Day Use Area. The final approach to the SkyCenter is on the paved road.
- Marshall Gulch (6.8 miles round-trip). The Arizona National Scenic Trail provides another scenic alternate to Mt. Lemmon’s summit. Hikers begin this route at the Marshall Gulch Picnic Area on the southern end of Summerhaven. From the trailhead, follow the AZT-Marshall Gulch Trail #3 south for 1.3 miles to a major trail junction. Head north on the Aspen Trail #93 for 1.4 miles until it intersects with Radio Ridge #18. Turn west and continue uphill for 0.25 miles toward E. Ski Run Road and the Mt. Lemmon Day Use Area. As with the other routes, the final approach to the summit is on E Ski Run Road.
Wildlife:
Between January 1st and April 30th visitors (and their pets) are prohibited from traveling more than 400 feet off the Mt. Lemmon USFS trail system. These dates coincide with lambing season for the Bighorn Sheep, which are a protected in the Coronado National Forest.
Camping nearby:
- There are eight seasonal USFS campgrounds located on E. Mt. Lemmon Drive as it winds thorough the Santa Catalina Mountains. Most of these public campgrounds are small and rustic (vault toilets, no water), and one of the more historically notable is the Gordon Hirabayashi Campground. Also known as “Prison Camp,” it was the site of an Honor Camp where federal inmates lived while building the highway up to Mt. Lemmon in the 1930s. It was later converted into the largest internment camp in the U.S.- where 100,000 Japanese-Americans were forcibly re-located during WWII. The campground was named for Hirabayashi, who challenged the constitutionality of imprisonment based merely on race or ethnic ancestry. Cost: $20/night.
- Catalina State Park is located 12 miles north of Tucson nestled on the west side of the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. This extremely popular state park campground has 120 RV and tent campsites with picnic tables and fire rings, water, showers, and restrooms. Cost: $25-35/night; reservations strongly recommended!
Resources:
- An Overview of Mt. Lemmon (Summit Post)
- Maps of Mt. Lemmon hiking trails (USFS)
- 10 Best Trails on Mt. Lemmon (All Trails)
- Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory (Univ. Arizona)
- Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley (Days and hours of operation)
