Tucson Visit

[carroll_hughes1]

I am planning a trip to Tucson the first week of April - are there

likely to be wildflowers then at any of the surrounding areas and

elevations. Also welcome suggestions of other must see places.

--

 

Carroll Hughes

[lyle_aldridge1]

The first week of April is usually THE week for wildflowers around here, so your timing is great. Consistently, our best display is along State Route 86, around the base of Kitt Peak, mostly west of the turnoff to the observatory. Picacho Peak, about 45 miles NW of town on I-10 is a traditional flower spot, but only because it's a lot nearer the Interstate. SR86 is much better, but less well-known. The road to the Kitt Peak National Observatory can be worth the drive, too, as is the Observatory itself. I took the shot uploaded here along the observatory road last year.<p>The flowers last year were the best I've ever seen them, but we had a lot more winter rain. This has been a dry winter, and everything around here looks pretty desolate right now.<p>Saguaro National Park is probably a must, and the unit west of town is better than the one to the east (the Park is split into two units, about 25 miles apart). The "snowbirds" are gone by April, so the Park is not crowded at all. The Mount Lemmon Highway is good, with vegetation zones ranging from thick stands of saguaros near the base to spruce and aspen at the top (24 mile drive up to 9000 feet). People will probably mention Sabino Canyon, but it has become really crowded, and the dry winter has left it looking really sad. Madera Canyon south of town is usually good, but I haven't seen it this year. The campus at the University of Arizona also has some very picturesque features. It's right in the middle of town. <p>If you have the time and inclination to roam a bit further, you can get to some places where almost no one goes, like the Pinaleno mountains near Safford (about a 3 hour one-way drive). This is another "sky island" location like Mount Lemmon, but better. It even has mountain meadows with wildflowers, but April is probably a little early for the flowers at that elevation. Going west on SR86, then south toward the border at Why will take you to Organ Pipe National Monument, which also usually has great wildflowers. I usually think crowds at the Parks and Monuments make them worth missing, but this one is so remote that crowds are not a concern. It's about a 2-hour drive each way.<div></div>

[robert_kennedy]

I'd recommend Tohono Chul park. They are always a good bet for flowers. True, they water them, but they are native and in native habitat.

 

I'd avoid Sabino Canyon. They have instituted a fee system there and it has turned it into Disneyland AZ.

 

Do go and see the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Great place to take pictures.

[e.j.]

Unless there is some serious rainfall in southern AZ real soon there aren't going to be any wildflowers this year. Supthern and south central AZ has had ZERO (absolutely none) precipitation in 2002. Typically the best times for wildflowers here range between the last week in Feb and the first week in April - those can move a little bit based on when there is rain and when it gets warm. Normally by now the large fields of Mexican Poppies have come and gone but there hasn't been a hint of them this year. Unfortunately this is likely to be the worst wild flower year in many many years in AZ. On the other hand, by the first week in April, the Cactii should be starting to bloom so there are many photographic oportunities for flowers anyway, just not the traditional wildflowers.

[robert_kennedy]

Uhhhhh....I LIVE there, and we HAVE had rain for 2002. It rained two days ago. Not a lot, but some. There has been rain this year. Hell, we even had SNOW in 2002!

 

There hasn't been as much rain as LAST year (which got a lot). There are some wildflowers out there. But not the vast carpets you sometimes get. This isn't a year for a 24mm lens, but a 105 macro lens instead. You will find a few flowers.

 

You just have to look.

 

Again, hit Tohono Chul park (it's free though they like donations) and you will find some wildflowers. True, they water them, but they look great and it's not like they are out of place.

 

Oh, and until July 7, the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona is running a cenntenial exhibit of Ansel Adams. The CCP is pretty much based on his work (he donated a HUGE amount of his stuff to them and helped found the whole thing...they are THE place to see Ansel Adams!). The exhibit is amazing and best of all free! Plus, if you make an appointment you can actually go and see anything they have that intrests you in their viewing room. Wanna look at some 20,000+ negatives from Ol' A.A.? You can.

 

Very cool.