Trailvoyant is Back! (sort of)

 A little over 2 years ago, I took down the Trailvoyant web app after 5 years online.

It was painful. It was my baby. I had been working on it since 2010 and like most trails, there were lots of ups and downs along the way.

The app was born out of 2 core assumptions:

1. The destination is important - It's not all about the journey. You want to know you're hiking to something awesome.
2. People want more reliable information - Researching a new hike is tough because information online is scarce or inaccurate. Read about my first-hand experience here. 

I still believe both to be true.

The Struggle

"First time founders are obsessed with product. Second time founders are obsessed with distribution." 

- Justin Kan

Building a web app is hard. It's complex, time-consuming, and expensive. If you can push through the misery and get it launched, the battle has only begun. 

You can build the greatest product ever, but it does zero good if nobody knows about it. Turns out the world will not beat a path to your door when you invent a better mousetrap.

Changing Trails

Having learned the difficulty in trying to find an audience for a product, it's time to flip the script.

In 2024, I'll be working to build an audience through creating videos about Tucson hikes.

If I'm successful, I'll engage them to find out what products they actually want. Perhaps the app will be revived. We'll see...

Why Video?

I realized that neither original assumption needed a web app to validate. 

From amazing camera gear to free hosting on YouTube, it's never been easier to create and share video content.

Add to that the fact that YouTube is the second largest search engine on the planet (next to its parent Google) and it seems like there's adequate opportunity to get the content seen.

The Path Forward

I don't know how this will go. I can't control the outcome, but I can control my inputs. 

Here's what I'm committing to:

• 100 videos in 2024
• At least 1 video per week
• Posting an update in January of 2025

If you'd like to follow along and learn about the amazing hiking trails in Tucson, Arizona, click here to check out the YouTube channel.

21 Best Scenic Vista Hikes near Tucson, Arizona

When you're hiking out into the wilderness on the trails around Tucson, you're bound to see amazing scenery regardless of which hike you choose. It's hard not to be captivated by the deep canyons, tall mountains, and changing foliage of the surprisingly lush Sonoran Desert.

However, there are several hikes where you'll come to either a point or a section of trail where you'll want to stop right in your tracks and enjoy a particularly stunning view.

Of course, great views are almost certain from the tops of the many mountains in the area, but we've already posted our picks for the best peak hikes around Tucson. This list is your guide to the best views that can be had on the trails around the Old Pueblo without having to summit a mountain.

If you're wondering about what hikes have the best views in Tucson, look no further.

21. Romero Canyon Loop

It would be impossible for us not to mention a hike where the views are good enough that benches have been installed at various points so that you can comfortably sit and enjoy the scenery for awhile. The fine folks of Catalina State Park have installed two such benches along this loop, so take advantage of them. Both are on the edge of the plateau above the stream and are particularly enjoyable at sunset.

View the Hike Profile

12 Best Rock Formation Hikes in Tucson

"The Mask" looks down on Stop #3 in Sabino Canyon

The city of Tucson is surrounded by several gigantic piles of rock that we call mountains. Over the ages, natural forces such as wind, rain, ice, floods, volcanoes, and even earthquakes have sculpted many of those rocks into all kinds of fantastic shapes.

Gazing upon such formations can spark a sense of wonder as you consider how they might have been formed, as well as a sense of humility as you realize how long it likely took them to be as they are.

With hundreds of miles of trails winding all around the nearby wilderness, there are loads of great hikes where you can scope out Southern Arizona's geological treasures, but we want to share our favorites with you in hopes that you'll be amazed by the most stationary of wilderness wonders.

Here are our picks for the 12 best rock formation hikes in and around Tucson, Arizona.

12. Picacho Peak

While driving in between Phoenix and Tucson on Interstate 10, there is one mountain that is nearly impossible to miss, Picacho Peak. The "Big Peak" juts up abruptly from the flat desert floor like a rock spire that looks like a coyote howling in the distance.

Contrary to popular belief, geologists do not think it is the remains of a volcano, but rather that its shape is the result of much of the original mountain falling away due to nearby fault activity. That means that the entire mountain is basically a rock formation resulting from earthquakes, which is pretty awesome.

View the Hike Profile

12 Best Hikes for Kids in Tucson

"Kid friendly" can mean all kinds of things. It can refer to the presence of chicken nuggets on a menu or the absence of profanity in a song or video. When it comes to hiking, we think kid friendliness should be measured by a few key elements:

1. Length - For little legs, even a mile can feel like a ton of walking
2. Variety - Shorter attention spans tend to do better with changing scenery
3. Difficulty - If for no other reason than the guardian's peace of mind, keep it simple
4. Goal - There needs to be a clear destination that is worth the trip

Equipped with those criteria, we've put together our picks for the 16 best hikes around Tucson, Arizona for kids. Each hike on this list is not too long or treacherous, is full of diversity, and has cool places that kids will want go to.

There is a range of levels among these hikes because we wanted to account for half-pint hikers between the ages of 4 and 12. In the second post of our 5 part series on Hiking with Kids, we noted that under our system, level 1 hikes are about right for the under 5 crowd, level 2 hikes can be good for 5-7 year olds, and anything 3 or higher are usually best reserved for kids who've hit their 8th birthday. If in doubt, it's always better to underestimate with a lower level hike than to get them in over their heads on a higher level hike than they are prepared for.

We hope you'll find some new favorites for your family.

12. Sycamore Reservoir - Level 2

The out-and-back hike to the old dam in the middle of the Santa Catalina Mountains has a few things that will appeal to young hikers.

Tips for Hiking with Kids: Part 5 - During and After the Hike

We've reached the end of the trail and it's been quite a journey. In this final post on how to hike with kids, we'll cover several important things to keep in mind about how to facilitate the hike, and a few key pointers to consider for afterwards.

During the Hike

It's taken us 5 separate posts in our series on how to hike with kids, but we're finally at the bit about actually hiking with kids. Here are our 13 best tips for the hike itself when you hit the trail with children.