Picacho Peak is located just west of Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix. Its strange beauty is a landmark for miles around. Some will know it as a prominent location in in the science fiction romance novel The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Every spring its slopes erupt in a brief and brilliant display of wildflowers. Many visitors come to the state park at its base, but Gilbert annually hiked the lesser-known backside of Picacho Peak to bask in the beauty of nature's celebration.
