Parking on Mount Lemmon can be a challenge — especially on weekends, holidays and during the summer when visitors flock to escape Tucson’s triple-digit heat.
A new federal project now underway along Sabino Canyon Park Road aims to change that. The $8.77 million project, led by the Federal Highway Administration in cooperation with Pima County and the Coronado National Forest, will add nearly 100 new parking spaces and improve access for visitors heading up the mountain.
The plan includes a new paved parking lot with 75 spaces, 21 on-street spaces, a public restroom and a 5-foot-wide pathway connected to the Arizona Trail. Crews will also repave about half a mile of Sabino Canyon Park Road. Construction began in October and is expected to wrap up in summer 2026, with a winter hiatus due to weather.
“Parking is a real challenge up here on the weekends,” said Gray Carpenter, owner of the Mount Lemmon General Store. “It gets super busy and it's really hard for people to find a spot. We often have to direct them to different locations, different side streets to find a spot."
Carpenter said he’s optimistic the project will make life easier for both visitors and business owners once it’s complete.
“We were informed about the project about a month ago, and we’re super excited it’s finally happening,” he said. “It’s been postponed a few times, but we’re ready for it.”
For visitors like Kathy Wessner, who was exploring Summerhaven with a friend, the idea of more parking is welcome news.
“I think it is good but I really don’t want to see too much happening in Mt. Lemmon because it’s so fragile,” she said. “Roads are not great, people drive terribly.”
Officials say the project will also improve pedestrian safety and help relieve congestion near the Marshall Gulch Trailhead, where parking demand has long exceeded capacity.
For Carpenter, he hopes the additional parking makes it easier for visitors and the businesses like his that welcome them.
"Everybody is depending on Tucson and surrounding areas to come up here and enjoy the mountain," he said. "And this parking should give us great benefit to those people."
