Saguaro NP and Mt. Lemmon Self Guided Driving Audio Tour Bundle

Departure Point

• After booking the tour, search your emails for "self-guided tour." Your tour is VALID FOR ONE YEAR so follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.

Return Details

• After booking the tour, search your emails for "self-guided tour." Your tour is VALID FOR ONE YEAR so follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.

Duration
4 hours - 5 hours

Languages Available

• Audio guide - English

Points of Interest

Stop At: Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway
Tucson, Arizona
One of the most fascinating features about this highway is how the climate changes as we drive. From start to finish, it’ll feel like we’ve driven vertically across the entire US, from south to north. Why is that? Because we’ll be gaining 6,000 feet of elevation along the way! Note: This 50+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Saguaro National Park and Mt. Lemmon in 5-6 hours. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Soldier Trail
Soldier Trail, Tucson, Arizona
Soldier Trail is up ahead. This challenging 5-mile out-and-back hike features Saguaro, prickly pears, and a 2,000-foot elevation gain!
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook
Tucson, AZ 85749
Babad Do’ag Scenic Overlook is coming up soon. This vista overlooks the entire city of Tucson and the mountains beyond. The Babad Do’ag trail also begins here. It’s a moderate 4.5-mile hike through Saguaros, chollas, and ocotillos.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Molino Canyon Vista
General Hitchcock Highway, Tucson, AZ 85749
Molino Canyon is one of many boulder-filled canyons in the Catalina Mountains. At this elevation of about 4,000 feet, the mountain’s ecosystem is starting to change. Both at the overlook and the mountain it faces, you’ll see the earth covered in native grasses, tall spindly ocotillo, tufted desert broom, and a colorful flowering shrub called pink fairy duster.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Bug Spring Trailhead
Catalina Highway, Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
This challenging 10-mile out-and-back trail takes five hours and has a little bit of everything. The route starts in the desert terrain of the Catalina foothills, switchbacks up to a secluded pine forest with creek crossings, and ends in the Bear Canyon Picnic Area. The total elevation gain across the path is 2,000 feet, enough to feel the atmosphere get thinner and the temperature get cooler.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Middle Bear Picnic Area
Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
Did you pack your sandwiches? We’re about to pass one of the highway's best picnic spots! The Middle Bear picnic area sits alongside Bear Canyon, comfortably sheltered by ponderosa pines. You can see the rest of the canyon below. On the opposite slope, you’ll see a strange sculpture garden created by erosion and landslides.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Manzanita Vista
Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
Manzanita Vista is up ahead, offering views of a lush manzanita grove. You can identify manzanita by their smooth, bright red bark and gnarled branches. Manzanitas are prolific here because they can survive with poor soil and little water. They have adapted to the harshest growing conditions, and so they have absolutely no competition from other plants.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Windy Point Vista
930 Catalina Highway, Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
The view at Windy Point is unbeatable. You can see all the way from the desert at the base of the mountain to the subalpine summit. You’ll get to take in the entire biodiversity of Mount Lemmon in one panorama!
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Geology Vista Point
General Hitchcock Highway, Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
Geology Point Vista is ahead, offering views of hoodoos. A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock like a naturally occuring skyscraper. Hoodoos only develop in dry, hot climates.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Duck Head Rock
Mount Lemmon Highway, Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
Coming up is Duck Head Rock. This is one of Mount Lemmon’s most beloved landmarks, and you can probably guess why. This rock formation is shaped like a duck’s head with a long bill!
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Hoodoo Vista
Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
Up ahead is Hoodoo Vista, another overlook featuring unique geological formations. For a look at these fascinating hoodoos, park in the turnout just ahead. Otherwise, continue driving.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Palisades Visitor Center
Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
You probably don’t usually associate “Arizona” with “fishing.” Rose Canyon Lake is here to change your mind! This peaceful spot rarely sees the crowds who visit other attractions along the route, making it perfect to enjoy a moment of solitude.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Butterfly Trailhead
North Butterfly Road, Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
Need a restroom break? Turn left onto East Organization Ridge Road to visit the Palisades Visitor Center. Otherwise, continue straight.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Aspen Vista
Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
Butterfly Trail is up ahead. This challenging 11-mile hike is certainly scenic, but the biggest attraction can be found three miles in. That’s where an unofficial trail breaks off and leads to… a crashed F86 fighter jet from 1957! Wait, what? How did that happen?
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Red Ridge Trailhead
East Ski Run Road, Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
Aspen Vista Point is up ahead, at an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet! On a clear day, you can see 50 miles away! The ridge rising out of the horizon is another sky island chain called the Galiuro Mountains. The two ranges are separated by a valley that plunges over 5,000 feet. The San Pedro River flows through the gulf between the mountains.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Mt Lemmon Ski Valley
10300 East Ski Run Road, Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619
Just ahead is Red Ridge Trail. This moderate 10-mile trail gets its name from the red dirt that forms the path. The distinctive Sonoran Desert brick-colored soil is caused by weathering of minerals that contain a lot of iron. Or, as you probably know it, rust. The dirt here is exposed to the elements, just like when you leave your bicycle out in the rain.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory
The University of Arizona, , Mount Lemmon, Arizona
Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is up ahead. Where you have an alpine mountain top, a ski resort can’t be far behind! Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is here for all your winter sporting needs.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Saguaro National Park
Tucson, Arizona
The SkyCenter did NOT start out as an observatory. The government established a radar station at this location in 1956 during the height of Cold War paranoia. They wanted to scan the skies for enemy planes and missiles. For 10 years, Mount Lemmon was the highest continually-operating radar station in the world. 80 men worked at the radar station, most of whom lived at the facility full-time. After all, it would’ve been too much trouble to constantly trek up and down the mountain!
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Old Tucson
201 Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ 85735
Welcome to your tour of West Saguaro National Park! From mountain formations to colorful historical characters, Hollywood history to prickly cacti, there’s plenty to marvel at on this tour.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Gates Pass Scenic Lookout
7799 West Gates Pass Road, Tucson, AZ 85745
The park has since been rebuilt and remains open to the public today. To visit the park, take the turn that’s just ahead. Otherwise, continue driving straight.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Brown Mountain Trailhead
8420 West McCain Loop, Tucson, AZ 85735
The Gates Pass Scenic Lookout is coming up next, offering great views of Tucson’s ancient rock formations. There’s a trail as well, which I’ll talk more about when we’re closer to it.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
2021 North Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ 85743
Coming up soon is the Brown Mountain Trail. It’s a 5-mile loop trail that’s moderately challenging and should take under two hours to complete. Some hikers have reported coyote sightings on this trail. It’s not uncommon to hear coyote sounds echoing across Saguaro National Park.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: King Canyon Trail
Saguaro West District, Tucson, Arizona
Coming up are the King Canyon Trail and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The trail is a moderately challenging 7-mile trail that should take about four hours to complete. It’s a lot of work, but it features fabulous desert views along the way!
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Desert Discovery Nature Trail

Coming up are the King Canyon Trail. The trail is a moderately challenging 7-mile trail that should take about four hours to complete. It’s a lot of work, but features fabulous desert views along the way!
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Hugh Norris Trail
Bajada Loop Dr, Saguaro National Park West, Tucson, Arizona
The Desert Discovery Nature Trail is coming up soon, a straightforward half-mile hike boasting tons of the famous saguaro cacti! Speaking of cacti, did you know a bunch of species are edible? This doesn’t mean you should go plucking them to taste on your walks.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Valley View Overlook Trail
Saguaro National Park, Tucson Mountain District, Tucson, Arizona
The Hugh Norris Trail is coming up soon. It’s a challenging 9-mile trail often traveled by horseback riders! It gets its name from 20th-century tribal police officer Hugh Norris. He was often out scouring for truant children for the Fort Yuma Indian School.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Signal Hill Trail
, Saguaro West, Tucson, Arizona
The Valley View Overlook Trail is coming up soon. It’s an easy 1-mile trail that takes about 20 minutes to complete. The Civilian Conservation Corps built this trail in the 1930s!
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Rincon Mountain Visitor Center
3693 S. Old Spanish Trail, , Tucson, Arizona
Signal Hill has about 200 prehistoric petroglyphs made by the Hohokam, who lived in this area from about 450 to 1450 C.E. Indigenous people say that each petroglyph placement isn’t random!
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Sonoran Desert Overlook
Tucson, AZ 85730
Welcome to East Saguaro National Park! Ancient cultures, ancient rocks, and trails await you on this tour. Our tour begins at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center at 3693 S Old Spanish Trail, Tucson. If you’re not there already, you should head there now. To begin your tour, simply continue straight along Cactus Forest Drive.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Future Generations Overlook
3693 South Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730
The Sonoran Desert Overlook is coming up. It’ll be on our left, offering gorgeous views of the landscape and cacti. The Hohokam, ancestors of the O’odham people, were some of the first to call this desert home. This resourceful group slowly gave up their nomadic hunting-gathering lifestyle for a more settled farming life, developing a distinct desert culture.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Cactus Forest Trail
Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona
The Cactus Forest Overlook is coming up soon. It will be on our left. Here, you’ll enjoy overlooking an oasis of cacti. Sure, the saguaro cacti are the most famous since they’re exclusive to the Sonoran, but the park actually hosts about 25 species of cacti! These include prickly pears and chollas, as well as some lesser known cacti.
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Loma Verde Trail
Loma Verde Trail, Tucson, AZ
Coming up is the Mica View trailhead. It leads to a 4-mile loop trail that’s considered easy and should take less than ninety minutes to complete. There’s a sweet picnic spot, too! From there, you’ll get great views of the Rincon and Santa Catalina Mountains. Keep an eye out for birds like the Gila Woodpeckers and Gilded Flickers.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Garwood Dam
Tucson, AZ 85748
Up ahead is the Cactus Forest Trail. It’s a moderately challenging 10-mile route that should take about three and a half hours to complete. On this trail, you can see lime kilns that date back to 1880.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Riparian Overlook
3693 South Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730
The Loma Verde Trail is coming up next. This easy 3.7-mile loop should take about an hour and fifteen minutes to complete. The trail crosses a seasonal stream and leads to a gradual downhill walk through the cactus forest.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Javelina Rocks
Cactus Forest Drive, Tucson, AZ 85748
There’s also the opportunity to explore the Garwood Dam. In 1945, Tucson residents Jospehine and Nelson Garwood bought 450 acres of land from two homesteaders. Three years later, while constructing a bigger house, they noticed that the Wildhorse Canyon behind their property always held water.
Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Tanque Verde Ridge Trail
Tucson, AZ 85730
Up ahead is the Riparian Overlook. Some claim this is the best view of the cactus forest! From here, you can see clear across the sprawling saguaro wilderness. One thing you can’t see from up there? Rattlesnakes.
Duration: 5 minutes

Additional Information

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email and text with instructions: • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password • Download the tour MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular Works offline after download
• How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
• Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
• Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
• Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
• Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

Inclusions

• Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
• Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
• Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
• Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
• Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
• Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
• Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
• Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!

Exclusions

• Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations

Redemption Instructions
Set your tour up NOW ahead of your trip, while in wifi/cell signal. Do not wait until your travel date, your tour is VALID FOR ONE YEAR.

1. Find The Setup Instructions NOW:

- Email: Search for “Action Tour Guide” with a subject line "Your tour operator sent you a message.". Check All Mail and Spam.

- Text: Search for “Action Tour Guide” sent from 14159804997.

- Viator App Messages: Viator App > Bookings > View Voucher > Contact Tour Operator

- TripAdvisor App Messages: TripAdvisor App > Account > Messages

Can’t find it? Ask Action Tour Guide to resend: actiontourguide.com/redeem/

2. Download The Tour NOW:

You MUST follow the instructions and download your tour BEFORE traveling to the site over WiFi/cellular. Do NOT wait until your travel date to download the tour.

Your tour is VALID FOR ONE YEAR. The tour is not tied to your travel date and is valid any day, any time for multiple visits for one year from your purchase date.

3. Audio Tour Tips

Not familiar with Action Tour Guide’s audio tours? Watch a short video: actiontourguide.com/tutorial

Important Note: Your purchase is for the audio tour ONLY. It does not include entrance tickets to parks or attractions.

CarPlay and Android Auto are not yet supported. Connect your phone via Bluetooth, USB, or Aux for audio. Use the phone speakers if needed.

Valid For One Year: Use your audio tour anytime, any day over the next 12 months. No need to change your booking if your travel date changes.

Support: Action Tour Guide is here to help! For quick answers read the Action Tour Guide website FAQs at actiontourguide.com/faq. For further help, call Action Tour Guide at 1315-291-0634, chat online at actiontourguide.com, or email support@actiontourguide.com.

Voucher Info
Mobile or paper ticket accepted

The tour identified in this promotion is made available through Viator. Groupon is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Adventures with Action in connection with this deal. Please contact Groupon customer service for all inquiries related to this offer. Inquiries placed to Viator will be directed back to Groupon.

This offer is not eligible for promo codes.