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Other articles by Doug Kreutz:

Mountain biking mecca The mesquite: It's a natural wonder Once-wild trails now skirt resort Birthday wish answered: Rucksack finds new life on proud shoulders Green Mountain Trail Forget the name: Fuku food is superb Drought leaves Sabino Canyon 'just so dry' Capturing our stately saguaros Neighborhood park has nature A hike every way you look

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Desert hiking — like many other things in life — is all about timing. • Trek the Hugh Norris Trail in Saguaro National Park West on a blazing 108-degree day in June and you could end up feeling like a piece of meat coming off a steakhouse grill. • Ramble that same saguaro-studded trail on a 68-degree day in December and you might think you had landed in hikers' heaven. • The timing is right — now and for the next three months — to hike the many beautiful desert-elevation trails around Tucson. • From gentle, kid-friendly routes such as the Cactus Forest Trail in Saguaro National Park East to the steep Finger Rock Canyon Trail in the Catalina Mountains, our area is a winter-hiking wonderland. • Today we offer a look at 10 cool-season trails. Some of the routes are suitable for walks with children, others might be just right for a family or date hike. We've also included a popular urban path and a couple of trails worthy of hikers looking for a bit of a challenge. • Better get moving. June is only six months away.

Many trails in the Tucson area, including several in the east and west units of Saguaro National Park, are easy and short enough to provide a good hiking experience for children. Two you might try:

Cactus Forest Trail

A scenic, mostly flat 2.5-mile segment of the Cactus Forest Trail connects two points on the Cactus Forest Drive in Saguaro Park East. For youngsters — and adults who want an easygoing day hike — the route provides an introduction to Sonoran Desert plants and terrain.

"It's a real pretty trail with some ups and downs, but nothing too steep," says Park Ranger Melanie Florez, who notes that hikers should be aware that bicyclists also use the trail.

Hiking options include walking just part of the way and returning, doing a complete out-and-back hike totaling five miles, or arranging a vehicle shuttle to accommodate a 2.5-mile one-way hike.

"I would recommend doing a timed walk, especially if you have children along," Florez says. "That way you'll know about how long it will take to get back to the starting point."

One way to get to Saguaro Park East is to take East 22nd Street to Old Spanish Trail and continue to the park entrance at 3693 S. Old Spanish Trail. You'll pay a $10-per-vehicle entrance fee. Start out on the one-way Cactus Forest Drive and watch for the trailhead at the 2.8-mile point on the drive.

Signal Hill Trail

This very short trail in Saguaro National Park West — about a quarter-mile long — includes some uphill hiking to a hilltop with a sort of ancient gallery that's likely to intrigue kids as well as adults.

Stone etchings, known as petroglyphs, decorate boulders atop Signal Hill with depictions of animals and geometric shapes. The petroglyphs were pecked into the rock hundreds of years ago by people known today as the Hohokam.

To reach the site from Tucson, go west out of the city on Speedway, which becomes Gates Pass Road. Follow the road over the pass to Kinney Road. Turn right onto Kinney Road and follow it northwest 3.8 miles to the park entrance.

Proceed to the park's Red Hills Visitor Center, where you'll pay a $10 entrance fee and receive a park map that shows Signal Hill. With the map as a guide, follow Kinney Road to Sandario Road and then turn onto Golden Gate Road. Drive about 1.4 miles on Golden Gate Road to a signed left-hand turnoff for Signal Hill.

Some family hikes are pleasant, slow-paced rambles. Others tend to be more vigorous treks with a specific destination in mind. Here are three trails where families might take an easygoing amble on the first two or three miles — or hike farther and faster for a family fitness workout.

Pima Canyon Trail

Trek this trail with the family on a brilliant, blue-sky morning — or perhaps toward the end of a winter afternoon when low-angled sunlight plays gold and red on the walls of Pima Canyon.

A hike on the first 3.2-mile stretch, to the site of a dam built as a source of water for wildlife, is just right for many families. It's a stimulating, but not exhausting, trek. For a longer hike, some parties go to Pima Canyon Spring, which is 5.2 miles and more than 2,500 vertical feet above the trailhead.

From West Ina and North Oracle roads, go east on Ina to Christie Drive. Follow Christie north to Magee Road. Turn east on Magee and continue to a parking lot at the trailhead.

Esperero Trail

Snaking out of spectacular Sabino Canyon into rugged Esperero Canyon, this is a trail that begins gently and then gradually becomes more and more challenging. The key, on family outings, is to turn around before the distance or terrain becomes too much for any member of the group.

The 1.1-mile lower section of the trail winds through winsome desert terrain, with some moderately steep grades near the end of the section.

The upper section of the Esperero Trail — a route for more experienced hikers — extends 5.8 miles to the Cathedral Rock Trail and about nine miles to a connection with the Ventana Canyon Trail.

Most families are likely to zip along the lower section, but might want to plan on hiking just the first mile or two of the upper part.

To reach the trailhead, take Tanque Verde Road to Sabino Canyon Road and continue north about four miles to the canyon. The U.S. Forest Service charges a $5 parking fee. Walk east about 0.1 of a mile on a broad path that begins at the southeastern end of the parking lot and watch for the signed Esperero Trail on the left.

Linda Vista Trail

The name of this trail means "beautiful view" or "lovely vista" in Spanish — and that pretty much tells the story of the route on the western edge of the Catalina Mountains.

The Linda Vista Trail, with an easy-to-reach trailhead, is a popular place for family outings because it's a network of interconnected segments — allowing for a variety of loop routes and out-and-back hikes.

A main segment, 0.57 of a mile long, links with other segments of up to 1.5 miles in length. String them together as you like to create hikes ranging from a short stroll to a ramble covering several miles.

Take North Oracle Road to Linda Vista Boulevard in Oro Valley. Turn east on Linda Vista and drive 0.2 of a mile to a signed trailhead and parking area on the right.

OK, we know, any trail can be a place to go on a hiking date. But the two trails listed here might demonstrate to your boyfriend or girlfriend that you love to share splendid scenery and the benefits of a good workout.

Romero Canyon Trail

Hike with your sweetheart up the first stretch of this trail, in Catalina State Park north of Tucson, and you'll pass overlook points where you might point out the romantic beauty of deep-cut canyons and lofty ridges.

A stop at the Romero Pools area, 2.8 miles from the starting point, will give you some time to talk in a beautiful setting.

Super-fit couples might rocket past the pools and continue all the way to Romero Pass — 7.2 miles and 3,300 vertical feet above the trailhead.

Follow Oracle Road north out of Tucson to the Catalina State Park entrance at Milepost 81. The entrance fee is $6 per vehicle. A free park map will direct you to the trailhead.

Douglas Spring Trail

Susan Dick, a guide with the Southern Arizona Hiking Club, says she and others find much to love about the Douglas Spring Trail, which extends about six miles into the Rincon Mountains east of Tucson.

"The views are terrific and the exercise is great," Dick says, noting that the trail ascends rocky slopes on the side of a canyon. "After passing the canyon, it levels off and is quite open. We sometimes see deer or a roadrunner here . . . . I like to continue up to Bridal Wreath Falls," which might serve as a nice hint if you're on a date hike.

The waterfall, accessible on a short spur trail, "is very pretty when it's running and makes a nice, cool lunch spot," Dick says.

The trail begins near a parking lot at the eastern dead-end of Speedway.

Rillito River Park Trail

You'll climb no grand mountains or trek through remote canyons on the Rillito River Park Trail.

But here's the thing: The trail, tracing the Rillito for more than 10 miles from North Craycroft Road to the Interstate 10 area, is just plain convenient.

Walkers — as well as runners and cyclists — can head out on a whim for a leisurely spin or vigorous workout. The trail is accessible from major street intersections with the river, and at other points along the watercourse. Even if one section of the route is undergoing repair or maintenance work, it's easy to find another access point without traveling far.

Some of the best cool-season hiking routes in the Tucson area go up — and up, and up — into mountain ranges near the city. That means they offer a potentially challenging, strenuous workout — making them more suitable for fit, experienced hikers than for casual walkers.

In moderate winter weather, even the upper reaches of these trails are often dry and clear. But be aware that some trails that begin in the desert eventually climb to higher altitudes where cold temperatures and snow are possible.

Hugh Norris Trail

You'll huff your way up more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain on the 4.9-mile Hugh Norris Trail in Saguaro National Park West — and you'll likely be happy to put your feet up after a 9.8-mile round-trip trek.

The payoff, in addition to vigorous exercise on a not-hot day in late fall or winter, is that you get a splendid ridge-top tour of a rugged desert mountain range.

The trail leads to the top of 4,687-foot Wasson Peak, the highest summit in the Tucson Mountains.

"I think Wasson Peak is a great hike," says Pete Cowgill, founder of the Southern Arizona Hiking Club and a former outdoors writer at the Arizona Daily Star. "You get up there and you've got great 360-degree views" of the Tucson area and surrounding mountains.

Go west out of Tucson on Speedway, which becomes Gates Pass Road. Follow the road over the pass to Kinney Road. Turn right onto Kinney Road and follow it northwest 3.8 miles to the Saguaro National Park entrance. From the Red Hills Visitor Center, where you'll pay a $10-per-vehicle entrance fee, follow Kinney Road northwest to Hohokam Road. Turn right, east, on Hohokam Road and proceed about a mile to the trailhead and parking lot.

Finger Rock Canyon Trail

If you're spoiling for a real winter workout, the Finger Rock Canyon Trail might be just the challenge.

Hike this real-life Stairmaster — weather permitting — all the way from the desert floor to the 7,255-foot summit of Mount Kimball and you're in for a 10-mile round-trip trek with an elevation gain of more than 4,000 vertical feet.

The first mile or two of the route might be OK for casual hikers — but be sure you're in good shape and comfortable with narrow, exposed trails if you plan to go the whole distance.

Take East Skyline Drive to North Alvernon Way and follow Alvernon north about a mile to a large parking lot at the trailhead.