I will be in the Oro Valley for a week in March. Any suggestions on must do activities within an hour or so drive from that area? We love the outdoors, hiking, interesting sights etc.. Thanks!

hiking:
sabino canyon
Madeira canyon.

Lots of suggestions for Tucson on this current thread:

Vegas/Phoenix in Feb? Or Seattle? Advice please

We’ve stayed in Oro Valley, Rancho Vistoso several times. Some of our favorite restaurants are Hacienda, Harvest Restaurant, The Parrish Gastro Pub. Tono Chul has a restaurant at their botanical gardens. Outings we enjoyed were the Saguaro National Park West, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Titan Missile Museum, Javier del Bac Mission, and the not to be missed Kartchner Caverns. Get reservations ahead, since they sell out.

Madera Canyon has some of the best birding in the US. Check out the Tucson Botanical Gardens and the 1896 St. Augustine Cathedral (murals and stained glass windows).

Oro Valley is a suburb of Tucson. Drive south a short distance and you’ll be in the Catalina Foothills where Sabino Canyon is located. The two real treasures in Tucson are Sabino Canyon and Mission San Xavier del Bac, south of Tucson on the Tohono O’Odham reservation , built in 1797.

Thanks everyone for your input - great information!