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23 Closest Beaches to Tucson, Arizona! 🏖️
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items Summer in the desert gets HOT, and when I lived in Tucson, I was constantly looking for a way to cool down (especially when my apartment pool was under construction 🥵). Here are 22 spots where you can cool off by a natural body of water near Tucson,...
Sections
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Oceanside Beaches 🌊
Lakeside Beaches 🚤
Beaches to Hike To 🥾
Riverside Beaches 🐟
Oceanside Beaches 🌊
When people think of the beach, they often think of the ocean! Here are five of the closest oceanside beaches from Tucson: one in Mexico, and five in California!
Puerto Peñasco is about a four-hour drive from Tucson to Mexico. Dylan and I spent our third anniversary here and had an absolute BLAST!
Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) - Mexico
The second closest oceanside beach to Tucson, Coronado Beach is a six-hour drive to San Diego. It's also a cute town to spend a weekend in!
Coronado Beach
A little farther up the northern coast, Newport Beach is a seven hour drive. There's also an amusement park if you're up for it!
Newport Beach, California
Huntington Beach is great for surfing! It has a long pier, and 10 miles of coastline, and is great for relaxing, walking, or hitting the waves.
Huntington Beach, California
Less than an eight hour drive, this is a cute beach town loved for its delicious restaurants, gigantic beach, and beautiful sunsets. I visited back in 2018 and enjoyed the break from LA!
Venice Beach, California
Santa Monica is an eight-hour drive from Tucson and has activities for everyone! Find a walking pier, local shops, picnic tables and more.
Santa Monica State Beach, California
Lakeside Beaches 🚤
To find a beach close to Tucson worth enjoying, the closest options will always be lakes! Here are nine lakes you can drive to from Tucson.
Dylan and I visited Patagonia (only an hour and a half drive from Tucson) on the fourth of July and LOVED it. It's a short drive away, there's a ton to do in the area, and you can rent kayaks and pontoons!
Patagonia Lake State Park, Arizona
Roper Lake is a quiet and nice weekend (or day trip) getaway only two hours from Tucson. It's great for camping and the state park even has a hot spring!!
Roper Lake State Park, Arizona
Sadie's Beach on Saguaro Lake gives the perfect views of mountainous and water views. Bring water shoes, because the beach is more rocky than it is sandy!
Saguaro Lake, Arizona
If you enjoy outdoor activities, Canyon Lake is the spot to hit! Boating, water skiing, jet skiing, swimming, fishing and hiking are all on the list here!
Canyon Lake, Arizona
Lake Pleasant is a MASSIVE outdoor recreation area with primitive campsites and outdoor recreation. Check for water levels throughout the year before you go!
Lake Pleasant, Arizona
I did a ton of conservation projects around Roosevelt Lake and can confirm this is a beautiful and great recreation area just three hours away from Tucson.
Roosevelt Lake, Arizona
Cozy, quiet, and relaxing, Riggs Flat lake is an 11-acre reservoir great for fishing, boating, or hiking in the nearby meadows and thick forest.
Riggs Flat Lake, Arizona
Cattail Cove State Park (on Lake Havasu) FEELS like being on an ocean because of the sandy beaches and large body of water! Great destination for spring breakers or those looking for some time in the sun.
Cattail Cove State Park, Arizona
Bordering between Nevada and Arizona, Lake Mohave has beautiful turquoise, deep blue waters great for swimming and even scuba diving!
Lake Mohave, Arizona
Beaches to Hike To 🥾
If you want to combine your love for hiking with a swimming destination, here are three of my favorites in Tucson!
Seven Falls is in the BEAUTIFUL Sabino Canyon and is one of my favorite hikes I've ever done in Tucson. Great natural swimming hole with nice rocks to sit on to enjoy the views.
Seven Falls, Tucson
This hike is a beautiful one, and I enjoyed it during sunset. It's a great place to swim in Tucson, but BEWARE - it's loved by the nudity community!
Tanque Verde Falls, Tucson
Hutches Pool was the first backpacking trip I did. It's a four mile hike (from the end of Sabino Canyon road) to a few natural swimming pools! There are a few dispersed camping sites so you can spend the night!
Hutch's Pool, Tucson
Riverside Beaches 🐟
If you're looking for a beach close to Tucson that's near a river, here are five fantastic spots, all located in Arizona, less than four hours away!
Pebble Beach is about 2 hours from Tucson, and is a non-motorized area great for a quiet relaxing day on the river. If you're lucky, you might be able to spot wild horses!
Pebble Beach, Arizona
I really enjoyed visiting Water Wheel Falls when I was doing conservation work in Payson. It's a hidden gem where you can swim between canyons, under waterfalls, and even do some cliff jumping if you're brave enough!
Water Wheel Falls, Arizona
This is a great recreation area in Yuma, AZ, with a sandy beach next to the Colorado River!
Centennial Beach - West Wetlands Park, Arizona
Grasshopper Point in Sedona is a great swimming and cliff-jumping spot in Oak Creek Canyon! I always wanted to visit but never got around to it.
Grasshopper Point, Arizona
Natures natural waterslide, Slide Rock State Park should be on the top of your list for a weekend trip! Its ranked as one of the top recreation spots and for good reason!
Slide Rock State Park, Arizona