Be prepared, watchful in exploring desert areas

Wonderlands of natural beauty and adventure await in the mountains and deserts around Tucson - but so do potential dangers.

Desert Museum retiring two aging mountain lions, added a cub

Two aging, arthritic mountain lions have been retired from exhibit at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - and a mountain lion cub will go on exhibit in their place today.

Moon Field at Grijalva Park honors fallen Tucson High soldier killed in Afghanistan

As children play in a multi-use field at Grijalva Park, they will be connected to an athlete and hero who grew up and played in the Midvale Park subdivision.

Horses' hooves, erosion turn trails into trenches

In Saguaro National Park East, this portion of the Garwood Trail looks more like a ditch than a pathway. Park officials are tackling the most severely rutted trails, repairing and rerouting them.

Horses' hooves, erosion turn trails into trenches

Horses' hooves, storm runoff and natural erosion have cut trenches up to 2 feet deep in some trails at Saguaro National Park East.

Former wild-roaming horses, burros coming up for adoption

Nearly three dozen horses and burros that have been roaming wild on the range will be offered for adoption this month in Sonoita.

'Horrifying' bee attack killed rappeller dangling from cliff

Tucson rock climber Steven Johnson - found dead on a cliff Monday after suffering hundreds of bee stings - was remembered Wednesday as a spirited climber and valued friend.

Tucson rock climber died from bee stings

Tucson rock climber Steven Johnson — found dead on a cliff Monday after suffering hundreds of bee stings — was remembered Wednesday as a spirited climber and valued friend.

Tucsonan pens guide to mountain trees of Southern Arizona

Many of us head for mountain forests as summer heat comes on - and a new book by a Tucson author could enrich your experience in the cool, green woods.

San Pedro due bird recognition

A national conservation area east of Sierra Vista will be rededicated Saturday as a "globally important bird area."

Catalina State Park marks 30th birthday Saturday

Catalina State Park - a preserve of grand desert landscapes and curvaceous canyons set against a backdrop of the craggy Catalina Mountains - turns 30 years old this month.

Catalina St. Park celebrates 30th anniversary

Catalina State Park — a preserve of grand desert landscapes and curvaceous canyons set against a backdrop of the craggy Catalina Mountains — turns 30 years old this month.

It's tad early, but saguaros already are flowering locally

Saguaros in the Tucson area are producing flowers, which customarily would bloom more heavily in May and June.

It's a tad early, but saguaros already are flowering locally

The first brilliant white blooms of saguaro cacti - the state flower of Arizona - are bursting out in Sabino Canyon and other sites around Tucson.

Star 200: Southern Arizona's resorts need educated workers

The tourism industry in Tucson relies on a diverse mix of workers - from the people who clean hotel rooms to mountain guides who lead visitors on technical rock climbs.

Reid Park's garden wins accolade for its blooming roses

Tucson's Reid Park Rose Garden - a floral spectacle featuring more than 100 species of roses and 800 individual plants - has won a Garden of the Year award from the American Rose Society.

Vandals target cleaned-up Redington area

Officials sealed off wildcat shooting areas in Redington Pass after a recent cleanup, but vandals have damaged signs like the one above.

Vandals target cleaned-up Redington area

Rogue shooters have shot up a "Shooting Prohibited" sign on Redington Pass, and vandals smashed another sign to the ground - just weeks after an event marking a cleanup of trashed-out shooting sites.

¡Aguas! Las cascabeles ya despertaron

El clima ya se está calentando, el desierto está floreciendo y hay otra señal de que ha llegado la primavera: han salido las cascabeles.

The evolution of sand trout

No fishing for sand trout at the Atturbury-Lyman Bird and Animal Sanctuary loop trail. Photo taken 12/11/09.

Well-timed winter rain means good cacti bloom

The prickly pear cactus is known for its bright yellow flowers, and they're just starting to bloom in the deserts around Tucson. Saguaro National Park and the lower Catalina Mountains are good places to see them.

Well-timed winter rain means good cacti bloom

The hedgehog cactus puts out a pink-purple floral display.

Well-timed winter rain means good cacti bloom

It could be shaping up as a banner year for cactus blooms.

Rattlesnakes out and about in Southern Arizona; time to stay vigilant

The weather is warming, the desert is blooming - and there's another, somewhat more sobering sign of spring: Rattlesnakes are out.

Stretching his limits helps, climber with Parkinson's discovers

Tim Bowden made it - with a bit of energy to spare and a lot of inspiration to share.

On Sunday, Prickly Park marks progress since its Sept. opening

Cactus gardens, a cholla maze, desert trees in bloom, and free prickly-pear snow cones are among the attractions at a celebration Sunday at Pima Prickly Park.

Forecast for Arizona's fire season, monsoon a tough call this year

Forest fire experts usually base part of their annual fire outlook on whether the dominant weather pattern is the so-called El Niño or the opposite La Niña.

Graffiti becoming more common amid natural beauty around city

"Simon says leave him" is written in bright red paint across the face of a boulder near the trailhead of Pima Canyon, just north of Tucson. It's not the only instance of defacement of nature, and attempts to remove the graffiti are difficult.

Graffiti becoming more common in Tucson's backcountry

A springtime walk on the Pima Canyon Trail can be a bonanza of beauty - and also a bit of a bummer.

New group hopes to chart new path for Redington Pass

A cleanup of trashed-out shooting sites has been completed in Redington Pass east of Tucson - and events at the pass next weekend will highlight the many recreation opportunities there.

The tougher, the better for Tucson hiker who's battling Parkinson's for Tucson hiker with Parkinson's

Hikers set off on extreme treks for all kinds of reasons - everything from building endurance to seeking solitude or reaching remote sites in the wild.