Scenic Drives
Catalina Highway (General Hitchcock
Highway)
The only paved road that leads to the upper reaches of Mt. Lemmon and
the Santa Catalina Range is one of the most scenic highways in the
southwest. It provides access to a fascinating land of breathtaking
vistas, outlandish
rockscapes, cool mountain forests and deep canyons spilling out onto
broad deserts. Because the road starts in the Lower Sonoran vegetative
life zone and climbs to the high forests of the Canadian zone, it offers
the biological equivalent of driving from the deserts of Mexico to
the forests of Canada in a short stretch of 27 miles. Here, you’ll
find plants and animals and geology that exhibit some of the most wide-ranging
natural diversity to be found in any area of comparable size in the
continental U. S.
As you drive up the mountain, every turn seems to reveal something
new. In some places that may be a community of trees, shrubs, and
wildflowers different from the one just around the previous curve.
In others, it
may be a new gallery of natural rock sculptures even more impossibly
perched than the last, or a broader panorama that stretches in an
entirely different direction than the one that caused you to stop
and snap a
photo
just a few moments before. For your convenience, there are turnouts
at scenic overlooks and several campgrounds and picnic areas. Dozens
of
hiking trails offer access to the mountain’s backcountry canyons
and ridges.
Though virtually everyone calls this road the Catalina Highway, it
is officially designated the General Hitchcock Highway in honor
of Postmaster
General Frank Harris Hitchcock. He, perhaps more than anyone else,
was responsible for bringing together all the elements necessary
to construct
this popular access route into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Work
was begun on the road in 1933 and completed 17 years later in 1950.
Much
of the labor was supplied by workers from a federal prison camp
located for that purpose at the base of the mountain.
Attractions:
World-class views
Mexico to Canada (biologically) in 27 miles
Cool forests/hiking trails
Picnic areas and campgrounds
City lights at night
Ski area/sky ride at the top
Location: Northeast of Tucson.
Access: Off Tanque Verde Road, take the Catalina Highway to the
Forest boundary where it becomes the Hitchcock Highway. Continue
on through
deserts and canyons past overlooks, picnic areas, and campgrounds
to the top of the mountain.
Mileage/Driving Time: 26 miles to the village of Summerhaven.
27 miles to Ski Valley. 28 miles to the top of Mt. Lemmon.
3 hours
round trip
from Tucson.
Elevation: 3,000'-9,100'
Season: Open year round, but winter storms may temporarily
close roads or require snow tires or chains.
Road Conditions: Paved and suitable for most vehicles.
Very large motor homes, trailers over 22' and buses
may have trouble
negotiating
steep
grades and sharp turns. Places to turn around are
few.
For further information, please contact: Santa
Catalina Ranger District.
|
