Mission Road

War and peace. They’re more than the title of the Leo Tolstoy novel everyone falsely claims to have read. They’re also the two basic states of human existence. This 37.5-mile drive, southwest of Tucson, is bookended by symbols of both of them — and, unlike Tolstoy’s 1,200-page tome, it’s easy to get through.

From Interstate 19 south of Tucson, head west on Duval Mine Road, which, like the rest of the route, is a paved two-lane road. This section is lined with mesquites and paloverdes, and it offers a view of the Santa Rita Mountains on the left as it skirts a mine site on the right. Within the first mile, you’ll reach the turnoff for the Titan Missile Museum, where an underground silo housed a Titan II nuclear missile during the Cold War. It’s the only site of its kind still in existence, and visitors can tour the decommissioned silo, a National Historic Landmark, and see the 103-foot missile, which now has no warhead or fuel.

Farther down Duval Mine Road, turn right onto Mission Road, which is one portion of an auto route that parallels the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. As you head north, the Sierrita Mountains come into view to the west, and at Mile 7.3, you’ll crest a hill and get a look at the Santa Catalina and Rincon mountains, near Tucson. Just after that, turn left onto McGee Ranch Road, which makes a gentle 6-mile climb from a verdant patch of Sonoran Desert flora — ocotillos, yuccas, mesquites and more — to the foothills of the Sierritas.

At the end of the road, in a quiet ranching community, is a locked gate, and beyond it is the 4.3-mile road up Keystone Peak, the range’s highest point. This road is off-limits to vehicles but open to hikers and cyclists, and those who reach the summit are rewarded with a 360-degree view that includes Mount Lemmon and distant Baboquivari Peak. If you’re not in the mood for a climb, the views to the east from the end of McGee Ranch Road are plenty nice, too.

Backtrack to Mission Road and continue north to an intersection with Helmet Peak Road, named for the steep, pointed butte to the left. You’ll stay on Mission Road and pass that peak on the right, then White Hill on the left, before looping around more mining activity. At Mile 28.4, you’ll enter the Tohono O’odham Nation and get another good look at the Catalinas, along with plenty of prickly pear and cholla cactuses along the road. A mile after that, you’ll cross a bridge that features one more panorama of the Tucson area.

Black Mountain, a long, low butte studded with hundreds of tall saguaros on its southeast face, is next, at Mile 32.5. From there, it’s only a few miles to an intersection with San Xavier Road, where you’ll turn right and make the short drive to Mission San Xavier del Bac. The mission dates to the late 1700s and is believed to be the oldest intact European structure in Arizona. Visitors are welcome, and docent-led tours are offered regularly. And, unlike the Titan Missile Museum, the “White Dove of the Desert” continues to serve its original purpose, with Mass celebrated daily. Peace, it would seem, is a safer long-term investment.