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Here is some information, maps and pictures taken around the westside of Tucson in June 2007

West Side Tucson Attractions

Head into the area from one of three roads, Ajo Way on the south, Gates Pass in the middle and Picture Rocks Road on the north

Tucson Mountain Park

Sign at the north end of Tucson Mountian Park

The sign at the south end of Tucson Mountain Park

Tucson Mountain Park / Gates Pass Scenic Overlook
Ajo Way to Kinney Road, turn right on Gates Pass Rd.

Tucson Mountain Park is a 20,000 - acre Sonoran Desert natural preserve located a few miles west of Tucson. Tucson Mountain Park contains one of the most magnificent saguaro forests in the world. Hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, picnicking, and camping are some of the recreational opportunities within this desert park. Park hours are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Horseback riding trails, bicycling, hiking/walking, picnic areas, target shooting range, archery range, overnight camping area, scenic views, Gates Pass, wildlife viewing opportunities, visitors' center, restrooms, drinking water.

www.Pima.gov

Tucson Mountain Park Shooting Range

Tucson Mountain Park Shooting Range

Rifle and Pistol Range
The rifle and pistol range is for target practice only. Targets are available for purchase. Automatic weapons and shotguns are prohibited. Range distances are 5, 10, 25, and 50 yards. A range attendant is on site, and paper targets are available for sale. In the event that there is a question regarding a weapon or its use, the rangemaster's decision is final. For your safety and service, a rangemaster is on duty whenever the range is open. All person must register prior to shooting. Fees are $4.00 per shooter, per day. There is no water at this site.

Range hours:
Friday - Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Rules:
Rules are posted at the ranges. To receive a complete copy of the rules contact the office at (520) 877-6036. The range is located at the south entrance of the park along Kinney Road.

www.Pima.gov
www.TucsonShooting.org

Tucson Mountain Park Archery Range

Tucson Mountain Park Archery Range

Archery Range
The Pima County archery range is located in Tucson Mountain Park, one mile north of Old Tucson Studios on Kinney Road. A self-guided facility consisting of a stationary marked target range and three delineated archery courses winding through the desert. Water and rest rooms are available for your convenience. Daily use fee is $3.00 per person, per day. Open daily 7:30 a.m. until dusk.

www.Pima.gov
www.TucsonShooting.org

Drexel Heights Fire Department

Drexel Heights Fire Department is located just south of the southern entrance to the Mountain Park

This is a new facility with modern equipment

Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park entrance sign

Signs at the Red Hills visitor center at the Saguaro National Park West

The red hills visitor center is built into the desert, it doesn't stand out against the scenery, so enjoy your views of the desert

Saguaro around the visitor centerat Saguaro Nat. Park

Saguaro cover the hills in Tucson Mountain park and the Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park

Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.

www.NPS.gov

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

The Desert Museum

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden, all in one place

The mission of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.

www.DesertMuseum.org

Old Tucson Studios

Old Tucson Studios:
Arizona's Hollywood in the Desert!

Old Tucson Studios: Hollywood in the Desert since 1939! From western movie heroes like John Wayne to current box-office stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, many of Hollywood's legends have walked these rugged streets, the setting for hundreds of major motion pictures. You're invited to retrace the bootsteps of your favorite stars and spend a day in the life of an 1880's Western town. To complete your Western experience, take a trail ride along scenic desert mountain trails!

Old Tucson Studios, an active film set whose credits include some of Hollywood's biggest Westerns, features film and television shoots throughout the year and a full array of daily live entertainment and attractions including high-flying stunt shows, blazing gunfights and rip-roaring saloon musicals. Plus trail rides, historical studio tours, unique shopping, rides for the whole family and the famous Reno locomotive on display.

Take a break from all the action to enjoy a delicious meal from a menu prepared by Chef Patrick Fahey, or grab a snack and a cold drink before heading to the next show. For the safety of our guests, pets are not allowed in the park. Thank you

www.OldTucson.com

Double V Scout Ranch

Double V Scout Ranch Scout Camp

Double V Scout Ranch
Hidden with in the beautiful saguaro cactus and palo verde trees of western Pima County is the Double V Scout Ranch. With reservations from the Council Service Center, a troop or pack may use its many facilities for a small fee.

Olympic Size Swimming Pool
Ramada Grande for large gathering activities
- Public Address System
- Volleyball court
- Horseshoe pit
Sports Ramada
- Volleyball court
- Horseshoe pit
- Frisbee Golf course
- Obstacle Course
- Ball Field
- Campfire Bowl
www.CatalinaCouncil.org

Ryan Airfield

Ryan Airfield
Ryan Airfield is a general aviation reliever airport located 12 miles west of Tucson International Airport at the intersection of Ajo Way and Valencia Road. The field was created in the 1940s as a training camp for the Army Air Corps.

After the war, the state of Arizona approached the Tucson Airport Authority, who also manages Tucson International, about operating the airfield. The Authority and the state entered into a long-term lease agreement and over the years Ryan Airfield has become a busy and popular airfield.

World War II set the stage for the birth of Ryan Airfield. With the outbreak of war there was a need for aircraft and trained pilots to fly them. Under U.S. Army supervision, nine civilian flight schools became the new "West Points of the Air." One of these was the San Diego-based Ryan School of Aeronautics.

The U.S. feared a coastal invasion following the attack on Pearl Harbor, so the Ryan school sought an inland training sight. Arizona's clear blue skies were perfect.

On June 13, 1942, ground was broken in a field 13 miles west of Tucson and in three months the desert was transformed into an Army base with paved runways, aprons, hangars, barracks, mess hall, classrooms and recreational facilities. The San Diego operation closed and in one weekend planes, personnel and equipment were transferred to Tucson's new Ryan School of Aeronautics.

The PT-22 planes used for training stood up well to heat, wind, and dust storms. They were so rugged they went through the first 7,200 air hours with only one engine failure. Morale was high and contributed to the speedy execution of Ryan's purpose. A full course of flight instruction normally required four months, but at Ryan it was compressed into just nine weeks.

At war's end, demand for pilots dropped and Tucson's Ryan School closed in September 1944--two years and 6,000 pilots after it first opened. The State of Arizona and a three year old Tucson Airport Authority executed a 10-year lease for the 906 acre facility in 1951. To make development opportunities more attractive to tenants, a 99-year lease was drafted and signed in 1954.

Today Ryan has its own restaurant, aircraft refueling and service facility, lighted and paved runways, and manned six story control tower. More than 20 tenants--ranging from aircraft maintenance shops to charters and flight instruction facilities, as well as 220 based aircraft--call Ryan home.

In 2005 Ryan recorded over 160,000 general aviation operations. Ryan is growing steadily and the spirit of aviation remains strong in the hearts of the many pilots who fly Ryan's skies today. The Authority's commitment to Ryan's future assures that many will continue to be "flyin' Ryan" tomorrow.