I love National Parks, and one of my travel goals is to visit them all. I’ve blogged about many of them (check those out here), including many that I have visited during my travels to Arizona, such as the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest / Painted Desert. On my recent visit to Phoenix, I was fortunate to go on a family girls trip visiting Saguaro National Park, located near Tucson, about a 1.5-2 hour drive from Phoenix.
About Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park opened in 1994 and is separated into two sections: the West District, which encompasses the Tucson mountains, and the East District which are the Rincon Mountains. The two districts are separated by Tucson, and can take between 35-60 minutes to drive between. The Saguaro National Park elevation range is from 2,000 feet in the low areas, to over 8,000 feet in the mountain districts. There are over 175 miles of trails in both districts and have roads designed for scenic sightseeing. Both sections also have National Park signs, like the one we posed at below.
Saguaro National Park Visitor Centers
Upon arriving at Saguaro National Park, we first went to the Red Hills visitor center in the West District. The visitor center is open from 9 to 5 daily, except for Christmas. At the visitor center you pay for park admission, can talk to or ask questions of the rangers, get maps of the park and buy souvenirs. There are exhibits and a film that narrates the Native American connection with the desert. This is also where ranger-led walks and talks begin. The visitor centers are also the only places in the park where water is available, and during the hot summer months make sure that you have plenty of it before you head out!
Just outside the West visitor center is the Cactus Garden Trail, which is wheelchair accessible. There’s also a short unpaved trail that follows a wash. It was a great spot to pause and take in the beauty that surrounded us, and to pose for some pictures before continuing on our adventure!
National Park Pass
While many National Parks have gates you drive through where you buy a ticket, when visiting Saguaro National Park you go into the visitor centers to buy your ticket, which costs $25 per vehicle. The ticket is valid for 7 days. If you plan on visiting multiple National Parks in a year I recommend getting the America the Beautiful National Park Pass, which costs $80 and get you into any of the National Parks or National Monuments, of which there are over 2,000. If you’re over 62 you can buy a pass that will last for the rest of your lifetime.
Visiting Saguaro National Park- West District
We were only at Saguaro National Park for one day and opted to visit the West District. It is smaller, and the more visited of the two. The West District has over 40 miles of hiking trails. Pets are not allowed on the trails except for on paved paths, such as the Desert Discovery and Desert Ecology Trails. My familly visited in the winter and it was still 60° during the day. In the summer it can be very hot and dry and hit temperatures of 125°. If the weather is over 110° it’s recommended that you not hike. Desert temperatures can vary widely in one day so make sure you are prepared.
Staying on the trail is very important, because the cacti, of course are armed with spines and thorns. Cholla cacti in particular are known for sticking to people or animals who brush up against them.
Another reason to stay on the trail is the danger of rattlesnakes. I saw several signs warning about rattlesnake habitats. If you do run across a rattlesnake, make sure not to attempt to chase or touch it- just give it space and hopefully it’ll go on its way.
Desert Discovery Nature Trail
After stopping at the visitor center, we explored the Desert Discovery Nature Trail. This trail is a flat, paved, half mile loop located about a mile north of the visitor center.
It was wonderful to walk around the path and take in all the vegetation. Maybe especially since I didn’t grow up in the west, but I really had no idea there was such a large variety of cacti species. For example, you can see cacti such as hedgehog, barrel, staghorn, fishhook, cholla…then there are trees like mesquite, ironwood…
Saguaro Cacti
Of course, the National Park is most known for its Saguaro cacti. Saguaros grow slowly at first, only growing about an inch for the first 6-8 years of their lives. At the age of about 70 they might sprout their arms. When they reach their full height, which can be 40 to 50 feet tall, they are usually around the age of 150.
Saguaros usually die of old age. Inside the Saguaro are long woody ribs that help support their weight, which can be several tons. They collect water through their shallow roots, and as they soak up water their pleats and arms expand. In the summer, cream colored flowers appear, which attract doves, bats, and moths, who help to pollinate. In July, their red colored fruit ripens, which can be used as food for animals and humans alike. Birds use the cacti not just for food, but also as nests by making holes in the cactus trunks.
Signal Hill Petroglyphs
We drove to Signal Hill picnic area, where there is a .3 mile round-trip tail trail that allows you to see petroglyphs. The petroglyphs were created by people of the Hohokam culture and date from between 450 and 1450 A.D. The Hohokam’s scratched designs into the rock that are still visible today. The Hohokam would harvest the saguaro fruit and turn it into syrup, jelly, and even ceremonial wine.
This short trail also gave beautiful views of the area surrounding.
Valleyview Overlook Trail
The Valleyview Overlook Trail is a .8 mile round-trip hike that gives amazing views of the mountains desert, and the saguaro forests. This was my favorite part of the park, there were so many amazing cactus of all shapes and sizes. Here I found my favorite cactus, who I named Earl.
It was an easy hike, and at the top there were beautiful panoramic views. Several benches allowed hikers to sit and enjoy the vastness of the area.
The Signal Hill, and Valleyview Overlook Trails are both along the Bajada Loop Drive, which is a 5 mile Loop Drive in the West District. We also drove down the Golden Gate Road, just because we couldn’t get enough of the views.
Saguaro National Park- East District
We did not visit the East District, which has an 8 mile scenic drive (the Cactus Forest Loop drive which is on a one-way road) and its own visitor center. The East District is more known for their back country with longer hiking trails and horseback riding trails. There are no campgrounds in the park, but the East District is the area where you can camp overnight, though permits are required.
Find out more about the park or plan more of your visit by visiting the website here. I hope you are able to visit Saguaro National Park sometime, I wasn’t expecting to be as blown away by this park as I was.
Thanks for visiting my blog today! Let me know if you have any ideas for upcoming adventures, I love and appreciate your comments and suggestions. Catch you soon!
-Catching Katie
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