Other trails rise from the flat track and circle the pond and ridges. Any Ranger on duty can give you information on the views each trail provides and there is a great map in the Ranger Station. Westward, the sun goes down over the Phoenix horizon. These breathtaking colors give way to city lights throughout the valley. Lost Dutchman State Park is 6 miles north of the Old West Highway on the Apache Trail.
Trails wind through Indian ruins, perennial pools and a real variety of vegetation.
Bleached white, giant boulders crowd saguaros, creosote and mesquite but the higher you climb the greater the pine. The trails go to Mount Lemmon, Sabino and West Fork to provide a gallery of masterpieces. Catalina State Park is 12 miles northeast of Tucson off Highway 77, just north of Ina Road. Your camera won't do it justice but binoculars will help you identify the hundreds of birds. Lower Oak Creek runs through the park and the trails climb up, over, around and through ridges of red rock for a total of over 10 miles.