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I am looking to do a 2-4 night backpacking trip in early May with a friend who lives in Tuscon. I live in Texas and am unfamiliar with the wilderness areas in Arizona. I have a difficult time getting the information I need from google searches, so I have come to y'all asking for help.

I'd prefer to do a trip within 2-3 hours of Tuscon, but I may consider driving further north if necessary to avoid the heat or if the scenery will be significantly more worth while. I see that the average highs in Tuscon is about 90 degrees which is pretty warm. Would it be cool enough to hike in the superstitions or coronado mountains at this time of year? I also cant seem to find many loop hikes which are much preferable to me so y'all know of any I'd love to hear about them. Thanks!

Check out the Gilla Wilderness in NM. 4 hrs from Tuscon. I just did Jordan Hot Spring. I heard the Gilla Loop is a good one.

It is normally 95-105 in May, so you will have to seek higher elevations to the north or east of Tucson where it is cooler. 2-3 hours might be tough, but perhaps some Tucsonites can offer suggestions. If you expand your driving range to 4-5 hrs you will greatly expand your options.

I personally consider both the Supes and the Coronado too hot for May, but some people do them. If you choose the highest elevation areas you might be OK, as long as there is not a heat wave.

@angryocotillo
How many miles per day would you like to hike in your typical backpack trip?

The sky islands around Tucson offer cooler temperatures, but by their nature it's difficult to string together multiple-night trips at higher elevations. The best bet in that area would be to do one-way shuttle hikes or out and backs that generally go up and over the ranges.

Take a look at the Wilderness of Rocks on Mount Lemmon. This is a sweet area that is close to Tucson at higher elevation. May will be a great time of year. There are a few different trailheads you can use to access this area and loop options are available. Or set up a base camp in Wilderness of Rocks and explore the area. You can't go wrong up there!

Wilderness of Rocks
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=244

Mount Lemmon Loop - Lemmon / WOR / Aspen
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=19425

Thank you for all of the recommendations. I am continuing to research them all. We could probably do anywhere from 5-12 miles a day. My friend said he is pretty open to driving 4-5 hours to the flagstaff area. One area I am looking at is west clear creek. It looks like a pretty unique experience, but it doesn't appear as if it could be done in a loop style hike. What are my options for finding a shuttle back to the original trailhead? I have never hiked in that fashion before.

If the drive isn't a problem, an old favorite is the Cabin Loop. It's probably a little over 4 hours to get to from Tucson though.

wilderness of rocks. many loop/lollipop options up on catalinas. i've been there once. the upper lemmon canyon trip was fun, too! the rincons are pretty sweet, but most trails start down low and seem to climb forever...

angryocotillo wrote:One area I am looking at is west clear creek. It looks like a pretty unique experience, but it doesn't appear as if it could be done in a loop style hike. What are my options for finding a shuttle back to the original trailhead? I have never hiked in that fashion before.

West Clear Creek / Blodgett Canyon Loop: http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=1523
West Clear Creek to Indian Maiden Falls: http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=15734
You can hike in from BullPen Ranch, set up camp, day trip to Indian Maiden Falls, camp another night, then either return via the way you came or loop back around on Blodgett Canyon.

The Cabin Loop looks great, thank you. Also, thanks for those trails, Joey, I am very interested in them. I have read multiple places that when hiking WCC it is necessary to swim across at certain points and that it can be very cold. Is it TOO cold to swim across right now? And what inflatable device would yall recommend for ferrying backpacks across the creek?