Community: Catalina

Introduction

Catalina services Lodging: Make hotel reservations in Catalina. A.E. Araiza / Arizona Daily Star Barbara Cardinal rides her horse Rio on the 50 Year Trail near Catalina, accompanied by her dogs Rocky, Lia and Casey.

Catalina, a residential community, lies in the foothills of the mile-high Catalina Mountains in the valley formed by the Cañada del Oro Wash. Two retirement communities, Sun City Tucson and SaddleBrooke, are within four miles. Its climate is five to 10 degrees cooler and rainfall 50 percent more plentiful than in nearby Tucson. Native trees, grasses and wildflowers are abundant. The clean air, clear skies and lack of city lights offer spectacular starlit nights.

Artifacts and petroglyphs of ancient Hohokam Indians are seen throughout the area. Hiking and riding trails in nearby Catalina State Park and Coronado National Forest are popular; ambitious athletes can traverse seven climate zones, ranging from the lower Sonoran desert to an alpine forest, in a day's time. Public lands around Catalina provide easy access to streams and springs that run year-round.

Within a short drive are many scenic opportunities: Biosphere II; Picacho Peak State Park, the site of Arizona's only Civil War battle; Tohono Chul Park; Saguaro National Monument; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; Old Tucson Studio, where many movies have been made; and Kitt Peak National Observatory. The San Xavier Mission, built in the early 1800s, offers a glimpse into the Southwest's heritage.

FOUNDED: 1950
DISTANCE TO PHOENIX: 123 miles
HIGHWAYS: SR 77
INCORPORATED: No
ELEVATION: 3,000 feet
DISTANCE TO TUCSON: 12 miles
COUNTY: Pima County