West
Side Tucson Attractions |
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Head into the area from one
of three roads, Ajo Way on the
south, Gates Pass in the middle
and Picture
Rocks Road on the north
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Tucson
Mountain Park |
Sign
at the north end of Tucson Mountian
Park |
The sign at the south end of
Tucson Mountain Park
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Tucson
Mountain Park / Gates
Pass Scenic Overlook
Ajo
Way to Kinney Road, turn right
on Gates Pass Rd.
Tucson
Mountain Park is a 20,000 -
acre Sonoran Desert natural
preserve located a few miles
west of Tucson. Tucson Mountain
Park contains one of the most
magnificent saguaro forests
in the world. Hiking, horseback
riding, bicycling, picnicking,
and camping are some of the
recreational opportunities
within this desert park. Park
hours are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00
p.m.
Horseback
riding trails, bicycling, hiking/walking,
picnic areas, target shooting
range, archery range, overnight
camping area, scenic views,
Gates Pass, wildlife viewing
opportunities, visitors' center,
restrooms, drinking water.
www.Pima.gov |
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Tucson
Mountain Park Shooting Range |
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Tucson Mountain Park Shooting
Range
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Tucson Mountain Park Shooting
Range
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Rifle
and Pistol Range
The rifle and pistol range
is for target practice
only. Targets are available
for purchase. Automatic
weapons and shotguns are
prohibited. Range distances
are 5, 10, 25, and 50 yards.
A range attendant is on
site, and paper targets
are available for sale.
In the event that there
is a question regarding
a weapon or its use, the
rangemaster's decision
is final. For your safety
and service, a rangemaster
is on duty whenever the
range is open. All person
must register prior to
shooting. Fees are $4.00
per shooter, per day. There
is no water at this site.
Range hours:
Friday - Sunday 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
Rules:
Rules are posted at the ranges. To receive a complete copy of the rules contact
the office at (520) 877-6036. The range is located at the south entrance
of the park along Kinney Road.
www.Pima.gov
www.TucsonShooting.org
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Tucson
Mountain Park Archery Range |
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Tucson Mountain Park Archery
Range
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Archery
Range
The Pima County archery range
is located in Tucson Mountain
Park, one mile north of Old
Tucson Studios on Kinney Road.
A self-guided facility consisting
of a stationary marked target
range and three delineated
archery courses winding through
the desert. Water and rest
rooms are available for your
convenience. Daily use fee
is $3.00 per person, per day.
Open daily 7:30 a.m. until
dusk.
www.Pima.gov
www.TucsonShooting.org |
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Drexel
Heights Fire Department |
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Drexel Heights Fire Department is
located just south of
the southern entrance to the
Mountain Park
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This is a new facility with
modern equipment
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Saguaro
National Park |
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Saguaro National Park entrance sign
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Signs at the Red Hills visitor center
at the Saguaro National Park
West
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The red hills visitor center
is built into the desert, it
doesn't stand out against
the scenery, so enjoy your views
of the desert
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Saguaro around the visitor centerat
Saguaro Nat. Park
 
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Saguaro cover the hills in Tucson
Mountain park and the Saguaro
National Park
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Saguaro
National Park
Enormous
cacti, silhouetted by the
setting sun, for most of
us the Giant Saguaro is the
universal symbol of the American
West. And yet, these majestic
plants are only found in
a small portion of the United
States. Saguaro National
Park protects some of the
most impressive forests of
these sub-tropical giants,
on the edge of the modern
City of Tucson.
www.NPS.gov |
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Arizona
Sonora Desert Museum |
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The Desert Museum
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Arizona-Sonora
Desert Museum
The
Arizona-Sonora Desert
Museum is a world-renowned
zoo, natural history museum
and botanical garden,
all in one place
The
mission of the
Arizona-Sonora Desert
Museum is to inspire
people to live in
harmony with the natural world
by fostering love,
appreciation, and understanding
of the Sonoran Desert.
www.DesertMuseum.org |
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Old
Tucson Studios |
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Old Tucson Studios
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Old
Tucson Studios:
Arizona's
Hollywood in the Desert!
Old
Tucson Studios: Hollywood
in the Desert since 1939!
From western movie heroes
like John Wayne to current
box-office stars such as
Leonardo DiCaprio, many of
Hollywood's legends have
walked these rugged streets,
the setting for hundreds
of major motion pictures.
You're invited to retrace
the bootsteps of your favorite
stars and spend a day in
the life of an 1880's Western
town. To complete your Western
experience, take a trail
ride along scenic desert
mountain trails!
Old
Tucson Studios, an active
film set whose credits
include some of Hollywood's
biggest Westerns, features
film and television shoots
throughout the year and
a full array of daily live
entertainment and attractions
including high-flying stunt
shows, blazing gunfights
and rip-roaring saloon
musicals. Plus trail rides,
historical studio tours,
unique shopping, rides
for the whole family and
the famous Reno locomotive
on display.
Take
a break from all the action
to enjoy a delicious meal
from a menu prepared by
Chef Patrick Fahey, or
grab a snack and a cold
drink before heading
to the next show. For
the safety of our guests,
pets are not allowed in
the park. Thank you
www.OldTucson.com |
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Double
V Scout Ranch |
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Double V Scout Ranch Scout
Camp
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Double
V Scout Ranch
Hidden
with in the
beautiful
saguaro cactus
and palo
verde trees
of western
Pima County
is the Double
V Scout Ranch. With
reservations
from the
Council Service
Center, a
troop or
pack may
use its many
facilities
for a small
fee.
- Olympic
Size Swimming Pool
- Ramada
Grande for large gathering
activities
- Public
Address System
- Volleyball
court
- Horseshoe
pit
- Sports
Ramada
- Volleyball
court
- Horseshoe
pit
- Frisbee
Golf course
- Obstacle
Course
- Ball
Field
- Campfire
Bowl
www.CatalinaCouncil.org
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| Ryan
Airfield |
Ryan
Airfield
Ryan Airfield is a general
aviation reliever airport
located 12 miles west of
Tucson International Airport
at the intersection of
Ajo Way and Valencia Road.
The field was created in
the 1940s as a training
camp for the Army Air Corps.
After the war, the state of Arizona approached the Tucson Airport Authority,
who also manages Tucson International, about operating the airfield. The Authority
and the state entered into a long-term lease agreement and over the years Ryan
Airfield has become a busy and popular airfield.
World
War II set the stage
for the birth of Ryan
Airfield. With the outbreak
of war there was a need
for aircraft and trained
pilots to fly them. Under
U.S. Army supervision,
nine civilian flight
schools became the new "West
Points of the Air." One
of these was the San
Diego-based Ryan School
of Aeronautics.
The U.S. feared a coastal invasion following the attack on Pearl Harbor,
so the Ryan school sought an inland training sight. Arizona's clear blue
skies were perfect.
 On
June 13, 1942, ground was broken in a field 13 miles west of Tucson and
in three months the desert was transformed into an Army base with paved
runways, aprons, hangars, barracks, mess hall, classrooms and recreational
facilities. The San Diego operation closed and in one weekend planes, personnel
and equipment were transferred to Tucson's new Ryan School of Aeronautics.
The PT-22 planes used for training stood up well to heat, wind, and dust
storms. They were so rugged they went through the first 7,200 air hours
with only one engine failure. Morale was high and contributed to the speedy
execution of Ryan's purpose.  A
full course of flight instruction normally required four months, but at
Ryan it was compressed into just nine weeks.
At war's end, demand for pilots dropped and Tucson's Ryan School closed
in September 1944--two years and 6,000 pilots after it first opened. The
State of Arizona and a three year old Tucson Airport Authority executed
a 10-year lease for the 906 acre facility in 1951. To make development
opportunities more attractive to tenants, a 99-year lease was drafted and
signed in 1954.
 Today
Ryan has its own restaurant, aircraft refueling and service facility, lighted
and paved runways, and manned six story control tower. More than 20 tenants--ranging
from aircraft maintenance shops to charters and flight instruction facilities,
as well as 220 based aircraft--call Ryan home.
In 2005 Ryan recorded over 160,000 general aviation operations. Ryan is
growing steadily and the spirit of aviation remains strong in the hearts
of the many pilots who fly Ryan's skies today. The Authority's commitment
to Ryan's future assures that many will continue to be "flyin' Ryan" tomorrow.
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Gates Pass
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Driving over Gates Pass west
of Tucson, AZ. This is
a great drive through the desert
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Ironwood
National Monument |
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The monument is about a half
hour drive from the west edge
of Tucson through desert like
this.
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The south end of
the monument.
On the monument
the roads are dirt.
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Saguaro
cactus
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Picture
Rocks Road |
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Driving back into Tucson
through Picture Rocks, another
scenic drive around Tucson, AZ
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Up and over the pass and looking
down into Tucson from the Northwest
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