PITCH A TENT & HIT THE TRAIL

Lewis and Clark, Simon and Garfunkel, peanut butter and chocolate ... there's a long list of great combinations. In the summer in the Santa Catalina Mountains, the best combo might be hiking and camping. Here's a little something to get you started. BY ROBERT STIEVE & KELLY VAUGHN

CAMP HERE GENERAL HITCHCOCK CAMPGROUND

When the Aspen Fire consumed parts of Mount Lemmon in 2003, it didn't spare picnic areas or campgrounds. Today, signs at General Hitchcock Campground warn of wildfire damage and the potential for flash foods, falling trees, and loose and rolling rocks. But while the campground has its dangers, it's also one of the finest in the area. Small but beautiful, General Hitchcock features bountiful trees, boulder-lined campsites and big rocks to scramble up and lounge on. The Green Mountain Trail (see opposite page) originates or ends here, depending on which way you look at it, and after a heavy rain or a particularly wet and snowy winter, Bear Creek runs through the campground. Pine trees and picnic tables - you'll find plenty of both. Protect them by extinguishing your campfire completely.

CAMP NOTES

ELEVATION: 6,000 feet DIRECTIONS: From Tucson, go north on the Catalina Highway for 16.5 miles to the campground, which will be on your right. INFORMATION: Santa Catalina Ranger District, 520-749-8700 or www.fs.usda.gov/ coronado SEASON: May through October FEE: $10 per night RESERVATIONS: No AMENITIES: Toilets, pet-friendly

ROSE CANYON CAMPGROUND

Rose Canyon Campground has a beautiful name, and it's well deserved. On the banks of both Rose Creek and Rose Canyon Lake, the campground is a riparian oasis, especially after heavy rain. Popular among anglers, it features 74 individual sites and two group areas. It's big, but not so big that a true outdoors experience gets lost in a sea of RVs and pavement. Trout are prevalent in the lake, which lures a variety of bird species. Take your binoculars and while away the afternoon with a little birding. Take a walk through the woods. Sit lakeside with a book. No matter what you do, you'll want to keep coming back to Rose Canyon Campground - partly for its proximity to Tucson, partly for its beauty.

CAMP NOTES

ELEVATION: 7,000 feet DIRECTIONS: From Tucson, go north on the Catalina Highway for 18 miles to the campground. INFORMATION: Santa Catalina Ranger District, 520-749-8700 or www.fs.usda.gov/ coronado SEASON: Mid-April through October FEE: $22 per night RESERVATIONS: Yes, via www.reserve america.com AMENITIES: Toilets, pet-friendly, potable water

HIKE HERE BUTTERFLY TRAIL

Like the Green Mountain Trail (see below), there are two places to start this hike: the Palisades Visitor Center or a trailhead 4 miles up the highway, near the access road that leads to Soldier Camp. From the visitors center, the Butterfly Trail begins by overlapping the Bigelow Trail. It's a nice stretch through ponderosa pines and Douglas firs. From the point where the Butterfly and the Bigelow split, it's 5.2 miles to the Butterfly's upper trailhead. In between the two points, you'll be treated to not only evergreens, but also boxelders, bigtooth maples, alligator junipers, various species of oaks and even yuccas in the drier areas. For the first hour or so, thetrail leads downhill and offers tremendous panoramic views, both east and west. Unfortunately, you'll also see remnants of the Aspen Fire, which burned thousands of acres in the Catalinas in 2003. Eventually, about halfway through the hike, you'll head into a valley thick with maples and oaks. This is probably the most beautiful part of the trail. The rest of the route climbs gradually, past an expansive garden of ferns, to an old jeep road that leads to the hike's upper trailhead.

TRAIL GUIDE

LENGTH: 11.4 miles round-trip DIFFICULTY: Moderate ELEVATION: 6,505 to 8,263 feet TRAILHEAD GPS: N 32°24.664', W 110°42.919' DIRECTIONS: From Tanque Verde Road in Tucson, go north on the Catalina Highway for 23.2 miles to the Palisades Visitor Center. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: A $5 day pass (per vehicle) is required. VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: None DOGS ALLOWED: Yes (on a leash) HORSES ALLOWED: Yes USGS MAP: Mount Bigelow INFORMATION: Santa Catalina Ranger District, 520-749-8700 or www.fs.usda.gov/ coronado

GREEN MOUNTAIN TRAIL

Vermont has the Green Mountains. The Santa Catalinas have the Green Mountain Trail. Like other nearby trails, this one can be done as a one-way hike using a car-shuttle system, or as a roundtripper. The upper trailhead is located at San Pedro Vista, and the lower trailhead is at General Hitchcock Campground (see opposite page). Starting at the top, the route winds around the mountain for which it's named and through a forest of ponderosa pines and Douglas firs. Moving on, the evergreens are replaced by oaks, manzanitas, yuccas and beargrass. Continuing downhill, you'll come to a formation known as Bear Saddle, which sits at an elevation of 6,950 feet and serves as the head of Bear Canyon. From there, the trail follows Bear Canyon for just under 2 miles to General Hitchcock Campground. This home-stretch is probably the most beautiful part of the trail. The scenic vistas that you get at the higher elevation will have disappeared, but you'll be surrounded, once again, by ponderosas and Douglas firs, as well as Arizona cypresses. LENGTH: 7.8 miles round-trip DIFFICULTY: Moderate ELEVATION: 6,000 to 7,300 feet TRAILHEAD GPS: N 32°24.007', W 110°41.404' DIRECTIONS: From Tanque Verde Road in Tucson, go north on the Catalina Highway for 21.7 miles to San Pedro Vista. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: A $5 day pass (per vehicle) is required. VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: None DOGS ALLOWED: Yes (on a leash) HORSES ALLOWED: Yes USGS MAP: Mount Bigelow INFORMATION: Santa Catalina Ranger District, 520-749-8700 or www.fs.usda.gov/ coronado

TRAIL GUIDE