Distance: 1.5 miles (one way) Difficulty: Strenuous Best time of year: Fall, Winter, Spring Last hiked: 2014 October Picacho Peak remains one of my all-time favorite hikes. It’s a great adventure up a solitary desert peak for any skill level! Located nearly halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, Picacho Peak shoots out of the desert floor over 1,400 feet, ultimately …

Distance: 6.2 miles (one way – to the end of Cascade Canyon) Difficulty: Easy Best time of year: Summer, Fall Last hiked: 2016 June On a normal summer day, I wouldn’t go anywhere near Cascade Canyon unless I were coming out from a larger, overnight trip. However in late July of this year, we received an unusual dusting of snow …