Temperatures are scorching in 蜜柚直播, and we still have months of warm weather ahead.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to spare yourself from the heat, and enjoy the desert after dark! To help you plan your next summer adventure, we鈥檝e compiled a list of five activities that are better after the sun goes down.
Night hikes at Catalina State Park
If you鈥檙e looking to experience the plants, animals and beauty of the desert, consider joining one of the ranger-led night hikes at Catalina State Park, just north of the 蜜柚直播 metro area at 11570 N. Oracle Road.
Volunteer Colton Scolman leads 20 or so hikers along the trail during Catalina Nights at Catalina State Park on June 20.
The hikes run on the first and third Fridays of each month, and the only price for attendance is admission to the park ($10 entrance fee for vehicles with one occupant and $20 for vehicles with 2-4 occupants).
The route begins and ends with a short, steep hill from the parking lot, but is largely accessible for many different ages, from young children to the more mature.
Park Ranger Isaiah Ortiz said the park started the bi-monthly night hikes a couple of years ago, in July 2023, as a way to connect people with the outdoors in a new way.
Lincoln Ruffner looks over his flashlight as the group gets ready to embark on the night鈥檚 hike during Catalina Nights at Catalina State Park.
鈥淭he night hikes are a lot of fun,鈥 Ortiz said. 鈥淓specially in the summer, it鈥檚 a great way to get outside and still get to enjoy the outdoors without the intensity of the heat.鈥
Beginning just after sunset, you鈥檒l follow a one-mile loop through the towering saguaros and desert landscape, while learning from the ranger about the flora, fauna and geography of the park. Along the route, you鈥檙e likely to see desert dwellers up close, including scorpions, bats, night hawks, tarantulas and even javelinas.
鈥淲e wanted to add another opportunity for people to get out under the stars, and learn about wildlife,鈥 Ortiz said. 鈥淪ome people are nervous to go out at night because they鈥檝e never been on a night hike before, or they鈥檙e afraid to see scorpions or see rattlesnakes, and often when folks do get to see the wildlife 鈥 even specific things they said they don鈥檛 want to see 鈥 they usually light up in a different way."
One of the hikers gets a cell phone photo of a desert hairy scorpion under black light during Catalina Nights at Catalina State Park.
Away from the light pollution of the city, Catalina State Park also provides breathtaking views of the night sky, and the perfect conditions for stargazing.
鈥淲e do a constellation tour with a laser pointer at the end of the program,鈥 Ortiz said. 鈥淪o people will get to learn about astronomy and some of the cultural significance of the stars, and that鈥檚 a lot of fun too.鈥
Whether you are new to 蜜柚直播 or a lifelong 蜜柚直播an, the night hikes allow you to see the desert as you might not have seen it before, with the comfort of an experienced guide.
Volunteer Elana Alevy talks about the geology of the mountains during Catalina Nights at Catalina State Park earlier this summer.
Debra Paine was among the group of late-night hikers on June 20. Paine, a long-time resident of 蜜柚直播, has been out to the desert countless times, but was attending her first Catalina State Park night hike.
She said it was the stargazing opportunity that brought her out for the hike.
鈥淚 was just enamored with it, and wanted to do it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t was wonderful!鈥
Paine said she was already looking forward to returning on another hike in August.
Sabino Canyon Night Crawler
Another way to enjoy the scenery: The Sabino Canyon Crawler is offering tours on Saturday nights through Oct. 25, giving visitors the opportunity to experience the beauty of Sabino Canyon after dark.
The Sabino Canyon Night Crawler stops at the end of the road during this year鈥檚 first summer night tour on June 28. The crawler is offering night tours on Saturdays through Oct. 25.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children, and the crawler leaves from the visitor center at Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road, so you will also need a National Parks pass or a day pass for the area.
Chris Garcia, general manager of the Sabino Canyon Crawler, said they started night tours almost three years ago, and since then, they've become a well-known attraction for tourists and locals alike.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really popular. As we get later into the year, like August, September, we start selling out about a month in advance,鈥 Garcia said. 鈥淲e get people that return every year. One guy told me that it was his fifth time coming out because every time family comes into town, this is where they go.鈥
During the hour and a half tour, passengers relax in the open air tram and take in the dramatic canyon landscape at the base of the Catalina Mountains, while listening to the night-time guided audio tour of the geology, history and biological diversity of the canyon area.
You鈥檒l enjoy stunning sunset views of the creek bed and towering hills on either side of the crawler as you make your way up the canyon, and along the route, you might see any number of desert creatures including birds, reptiles and insects.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really pretty at night,鈥 Garcia said. 鈥淲e get certain nights where there鈥檚 a full moon, which is really pretty. You also see different animals like the skunks, the foxes, that come out at night.鈥
Day or night, Sabino Canyon is a special place.
An end-of-day visit to Sabino Canyon can be an excursion into exquisite light and color.聽聽
Mary Clary was one of the passengers on the Crawler鈥檚 first night tour of the season last Saturday. As a lifelong 蜜柚直播an, she said she had been to Sabino Canyon many times, but this was her first time to the canyon at night.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice,鈥 Clary said. 鈥淵ou know, there鈥檚 not a lot to do in 蜜柚直播 that鈥檚 not in the hot sun.鈥
She was particularly taken with the view over 蜜柚直播.
鈥淚t鈥檚 beautiful up here with all the city lights,鈥 Clary said.
Kartchner Caverns Bat Walks
A Townsend's big-eared bat perching on a rock might be something you'll see on a Kartchner Caverns Bat Walk this summer.聽
Kartchner Caverns State Park is hosting three night-time Bat Walks in the upcoming months, on July 19, Aug. 16, and Sept. 6.
As you walk through the beautiful desert landscape of the park, you鈥檒l learn about some of the 13 different bat species that call the park home, and use bat detectors to see and hear the bats around you as they go about their nocturnal activities. The tour doesn't go into the caverns themselves.
When: July 19: 7:15 - 8:45 p.m.
Aug. 16: 6:45 - 8:15 p.m.
Sept. 6: 6:15 - 7:45 p.m.
Where: Kartchner Caverns State Park Discovery Center, 2980 AZ-90, Benson.
Cost: Park entrance fee of $10.
Cool Summer Nights
Visitors line up to get photos of a storm moving through to the west and the colorful sunset during the Mad About Monsoons edition of Cool Summer Nights at the 蜜柚直播-Sonora Desert Museum in July 2022.聽
Every Saturday through Aug. 31, you can enjoy the sights of the 蜜柚直播-Sonora Desert Museum in the cooler temperatures of night-times. Bring a flashlight to walk around and possibly spot a nocturnal animal, plus touch a stingray and check out themed activities.
When: 6-10 p.m. Saturdays through Aug. 31.
Where: 蜜柚直播-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road.
Cost: $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for kids ages 3-12, $24.95 for 蜜柚直播 residents.
Chillin at the Chul
The Chillin' at the Chul summer series at Tohono Chul park features music, food and family friendly fun.聽聽
Check out music, spirits and bites at Tohono Chul botanical gardens' summer series. Every Friday and Saturday, Tohono Chul has partnered with Children's Museum Oro Valley to provide family-friendly nature-inspired play.
When: 6-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 30.
Where: Tohono Chul, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for food and drinks.聽