Trekking in the Tortolitas, northwest of Tucson, Arizona, is a journey into national park-quality desert country — where some 600 species of plants create a comely, prickly, colorful landscape.
Palo verde, ironwood and mesquite trees thrive alongside cacti, including chollas, barrels and grand stands of saguaros.
The range boasts a large population of crested saguaros — those with unusual flourishes of growth atop the trunk.
Hikers venturing into the range can expect some fascinating wildlife as well — anything from birds, lizards and snakes to rabbits, coyotes, javelinas, bobcats and deer.
Petroglyphs, or rock carvings, in the Tortolitas date to a period between AD 1100 and 1450. Ancient Indians, known today as the Hohokam, pecked geometric designs and figures of animals and people onto rock surfaces — and their work endures today.
Elsewhere in the Tortolitas, hikers will pass the ruins of one-time ranch buildings. One now roofless, stone-walled structure basks in silence and desert sunshine along a winsome stretch of the Wild Burro Trail.
I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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