Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Overview
Linda Vista (Spanish for “lovely view”) is a fun, easy loop with attractive views of
Pusch Peak at the western end of the Santa Catalina mountain range. The desert ve-
getation is thick, beautiful, and varied. Folks living in Tucson's northwest sector will
find this an easily reached backyard hike. Late afternoon provides photographers with
the best light for the mountains. The trail is narrow, and children need to be careful of
prickly plants that grow up to the trail's edge.
Route Details
The trailhead has a map board and a choice of two routes going either east (left) or
south (straight ahead). Both come back to this trailhead, and I describe the loop going
east, making the longest possible hike. (Don't get confused by the map board at the
trailhead, which has north pointing down instead of the more usual up.)
Immediately, superb views of Pusch Peak open in front of you, and you'll climb
very gently for 0.14 mile to an unsigned Y-junction. Go left here—if you take the
right fork, you'll cut almost a mile off the loop.
The trail approximately follows the boundary of Coronado National Forest, and
you'll see some upscale houses to your left, one of which is covered with solar panels.
(It never ceases to surprise me that so few houses in the Tucson area have solar pan-
els—after all, this is one of the sunniest places in the USA.)
The trail traverses lush vegetation with many mature saguaro cacti, including one
that has more than 25 arms—I lost count trying to get an accurate number. Keep your
eyes open for it about 0.3 mile along the trail. You'll also see several kinds of cholla
cacti, prickly pears, ocotillos, and many palo verde trees.
Palo verde
is Spanish for “green stick,” and these trees are unusual in having a
green bark that can photosynthesize. Most trees have green leaves for photosynthesis,
but palo verdes, found only in the desert Southwest, bear the tiniest of leaflets and
rely on their green bark to compensate. It's a wonderful example of a tree adapting to
its arid environment. In 1954, Arizona proclaimed the palo verde as its state tree.
During April and into May at higher elevations, palo verdes have a colorful
blooming season, with thousands of small yellow flowers changing the bare green
branches into lovely golden boughs. If you look carefully enough, you might see a
