Mount Lemmon Recreation Area parking area. October 2013.
Overview
Location
- Top of the Mountain Hikes - Santa Catalina Mountains - Southern Arizona
- Google Map Coordinates: 32.44066111 -110.78591287
- At This Trailhead: Lemmon Trail, Lemmon Rock Trail, Meadow Trail, Aspen Draw Trail
- Nearby Trailheads and Parking: Red Ridge Trailhead, Summit Trailhead
Driving Time and Distance from Tucson
- 1 Hour and 25 Minutes from Speedway and Campbell
- 41.6 miles from Speedway and Campbell
- Miles up Highway: 27.7 miles
- Side of the Highway: Down-mountain
- Vehicle Access: Paved Roads/Passenger Car (Mountain Road - be careful of weather conditions!). Closed to motor vehicles in winter (December 15 to March 1 - dates subject to change depending on weather/conditions).
Fees and Services
- Fee: Yes ([LemmonFeeCostAndLink/])
- Restrooms: Yes (may be closed in winter when the road is closed to vehicle traffic)
- Water: No
Additional Notes
- The final 1.7 miles of the drive to this trailhead are closed to motor vehicles in winter (December 15 to March 1 - dates subject to change depending on weather/conditions) - while the road is still open to non-motorized travel consider accessing this area via Summerhaven and the Aspen Draw Trail or from the Mint Spring Trailhead and the Mint Spring Trail/Aspen Trail.
- The Summit Trailhead 0.2 miles down the road does not offer a restroom or picnic area and there is no fee to park in that area.
If you are curious about the fenced off area at the top of the mountain the University of Arizona SkyCenter runs programs inside the Mount Lemon Observatory Area.
Mount Lemmon Recreation Area Sign - the (closed/locked) gate to the facilities at the top of the mountain are visible on the left. August 2017.
Snow! December 2013.
Driving Directions
Suggested driving directions from the Speedway and Campbell intersection in Tucson to the Mount Lemmon Recreation Area:
- Drive East on Speedway (5.0 miles)
- Left on Wilmot and continue on Tanque Verde (4.3 miles)
- Left on Catalina Highway (29.1 miles)
- Turn right on Ski Run Road (2.7 miles). Note that 1.4 miles up Ski Run Road at Ski Valley and the Iron Door Restaurant there is a gate that is closed seasonally that blocks the last 1.7 miles of the road (Lemmon Rock Road) - when the gate is closed foot traffic up the road is still allowed but consider using the Aspen Draw Trail to access this area (it won't save you time compared to walking the road but has good parking in Summerhaven and is very beautiful!)
- Continue 0.2 miles past the Summit Trailhead (a gravel parking area on the down-mountain side of the road) to the Mount Lemmon Recreation Area. The trailhead is near a fenced in power station - there is a (normally) closed gate into the Mount Lemon Observatory Area just after the turn for the trailhead - if you drive into the fenced in Mount Lemon Observatory Area you have gone too far...
Google Maps Directions from the Speedway and Campbell intersection in Tucson to Mount Lemmon Recreation Area.
All Trailheads - Map
Update Notes
- 2019/1/29 – Resources section added
- 2017/9/2 – Added a picture of the MLRA road sign that shows the gate in the background
- 2017/8/7 – Created, see the update notes in the Mount Lemmon Recreation Area for some notes about why this is