The Spanish explorer Don Francisco Vasques de Coronado and his expedition entered Southern Arizona from Mexico in 1540 in search of gold. But instead of the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola, which legend said existed somewhere to the North, the trail blazers found nothing but a vast country of grassy hills, cactus, lizards, and scattered, rugged mountain ranges.

Located adjacent to metropolitan Tucson, the Santa Catalinas are the most heavily visited mountain range in the Coronado National Forest. The Catalina Highway (also known as the Hitchcock Highway, Mount Lemmon Highway, and Sky Island Scencic Byway) winds nearly to the top of 9, 157 foot Mt. Lemmon, providing paved access to trailheads, campgrounds, picnic areas and even a downhill ski area.

The Santa Catalinas are home to the 56,933 acre Pusch Ridge Wilderness and popular Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. Numerous other areas of recreation interest are accessible from Forest roads. The nearby Rincon Mountains receive fewer visitors but are home to such notable features as the Rincon Mountain Wilderness which is adjacent to Saguaro National Park.

Recreation activities that can be enjoyed in the Santa Catalinas are as diverse as the people who come to visit. The most popular ones are hiking, horseback riding, camping, picnicking, sightseeing and visiting historic areas. Fishing opportunities are available but limited in this arid land, and opportunities for the fast-growing sport of mountain biking are growing. Surprisingly, winter sports are also available at the higher elevations.