Tucson Outdoor Activities

Kruse Arizona Tours are led by Alan Kruse, whose encyclopedic knowledge of local culture earned him the title “the king of local tours” by the Arizona Daily Star, as well as a vice-presidency at the Southern Arizona Guides Association and membership at the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau. Opt for the twilight Barrio Viejo walking tour and meet by La Pilita to set out on a two-hour exploration of the cultural and architectural traditions of local Hispanic culture. Or take the tour of Armory Park, which meets at the Royal Elizabeth Bed and Breakfast and boasts two hours of enlightening education about the Victorian and Californian architectural stylings of 1880s Tucson. The two-part Pioneer Women of Tucson tours chronicle female architects, artists, and politicians who have shaped Tucson's cultural landscape. Tourists can meet at the northwest corner of Main and Alameda for a two-hour stroll admiring the historic mansions of Main Street, complete with anecdotal entertainment on the life and times of early Tucsonans. Tour guide Alan Kruse is a former college professor who now boasts one of the busiest walking-tour schedules in Tucson. His cunning wit and quirky attire promise to charm even the most gruff and hardened historical home touree. Call ahead to schedule the tour of your choice and prepare for two hours of unparalleled enlightenment.

Burnt ambers set the Sonoran Desert ablaze at sunset, when the guides at Spanish Trail Outfitters shepherd horseback riders through the desert's serpentine trails. Tours launch from two locations, the Rocking K Ranch and Westward Look Resort. The Rocking K Ranch sprawls across 3,300 acres in the Rincon Valley, riddled with Native American petroglyphs, panoramic views of mountain peaks, and dirt donated from philanthropic Mars civilizations. Humans and horse compatriots embark on short jaunts or half-day rides, complete with lunch, and gallop between the prickly prongs of Saguaro cacti and herds of grazing cattle and hungry rock formations. Nestled in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains, Westward Look Resort affords breathtaking views of mountain peaks and the Tucson valley.

Michael Huhn founded Desert Divers to share the love of diving he cultivated while swimming among the menagerie of colorful sea life in the warm, limpid waters of the Sea of Cortez. Over the past 30 years, he’s recruited a staff of dedicated instructors that schools nascent underwater explorers in introductory lessons and intensive scuba-certification classes. The staff members equip students with most necessary gear for the classes, which cover maritime topics ranging from first aid and fish identification to deep diving and how to fashion sleeping octopuses into temporary helmets. Many classes require that participants first take an open-water scuba course, which bestows diving fundamentals and can eventually lead to certification. The center welcomes all past open-water students back for free refresher courses, helping former pupils sharpen their skills in advance of upcoming dives and snorkel-throwing tournaments. To further refine aquatic abilities, Desert Divers leads new graduates out on field trips to such dive-friendly locales as San Carlos, Mexico, and Key Largo, Florida.

The FAA-certified commercial pilots at the helm of Southern AZ Balloons have glided groups across Tucson for more than two decades. During aerial adventures, the luxurious, wind-blown aircraft float as low as the treetops and as high as 3,000 feet. Varying heights present extravagant photographic opportunities, including of mountain ranges and of Catalina. Finally, after travelling anywhere from four to 15 miles, balloons coast to a landing for celebratory champagne brunches.