The Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill is an 860-acre ecological reserve at the edge of downtown Tucson, Arizona owned and operated by the University of Arizona College of Science in partnership with Pima County. Tumamoc Hill, whose ame derives from the Tohono O'odham place name Chemamagi Do’ag – Hill of the Horned Lizard – is a large swath of beautiful Sonoran Desert in the heart of the city with over a 115 years of intensive science. Tumamoc is culture; ecology; a site of community gathering; conservation; art; archaeology; history; and much more. Tumamoc is an active research center where multiple approaches come together to better understand the Sonoran Desert and arid environments.
With over 2,500 years of human use, 115 years of science, and more visitation today than at any time of its history – Tumamoc Hill is a living laboratory, a refuge for exercise, health, and reflection.
Welcome, we hope this website helps connect you to the past, present, and future of the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill.