McFadden Peak is one of only two fire lookout sites in the Sierra Ancha wilderness of the Tonto National Forest — a 7,165-foot summit above Pleasant Valley with 360-degree views of one of the most historically significant and remote corners of Arizona, reached by a 2.9-mile round trip hike up Forest Road 561.

Mount Graham — the 10,720-foot summit of the Pinaleño Mountains — is Arizona's tallest sky island range in the Coronado National Forest near Safford, offering dramatic elevation changes, ancient mixed-conifer forest, Riggs Flat Lake, and some of the most diverse wildlife in North America including the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel.

Mount Lemmon is the crown of the Santa Catalina Sky Island — a 9,159-foot escape rising from Tucson's desert floor through six life zones to pine forest, dispersed camping, hiking, and the southernmost ski area in the United States, all accessible via the 27-mile Catalina Highway Scenic Byway.

Picacho Peak State Park along Arizona's I-10 corridor is one of the most historically layered state parks in the Southwest — a striking volcanic peak rising 1,500 feet from the Sonoran Desert floor, site of the westernmost battle of the American Civil War, a showcase for spring wildflower blooms that draw visitors from across the state, and a developed campground with 85 electric sites just 45 miles from both Phoenix and Tucson.

The Pinal Mountains rise to 7,848 feet just south of Globe, Arizona — a sky island of ponderosa pine and white fir tucked inside the Tonto National Forest, offering cool summer camping, eight hiking trails, sweeping views from the lookout tower and some of the most surprising wildlife encounters in central Arizona.