Tucson Mountain Park is the 20,000-acre county park that lies between the city and Saguaro National Park West, with hundreds of miles of hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails through some of the densest saguaro forest in the state.
The Gates Pass overlook is the headline view — drive up to the saddle in the late afternoon and watch the sun drop into the desert with the saguaros silhouetted against orange. The David Yetman Trail and Brown Mountain make solid moderate hikes. Free entry; bring water.