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TUCSON - Getting to the Golden Gate Trail requires starting at the David Yetman West trailhead. A half mile past the trailhead, you'll reach the clearly marked Golden Gate Trail.

This same area opens up to some spectacular views, with Gates Pass to the east, the Santa Ritas south and Golden Gate Mountain to the west.

While hiking this trail, you may be wondering why the rocks are all different colors. That's because the Tucson Mountains formed through volcanic activity, creating a vast array of colors ranging from white, red, brown and gray.

For your holiday out of town visitors, the Golden Gate Trail shows off the desert at its finest. Teddy bear chollas seem to glow in the mid-afternoon sunlight, prickly pears are a plenty as well as saguaros.

Along with the flora comes the fauna. Migrating birds are calling the Tucson Mountains home & there should be plenty of species to spot.

While the Golden Gate Trail is narrow, it's also manageable. Expect a fair amount of up and down, with a few switchbacks for good measure. Round trip it's a 5 mile hike for this out and back trail.

For the Golden Gate Trail map, click here.