Pin. For more National Park guides from Kim, check out her 7 day Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Park Itinerary or her 7-day Florida National Park Itinerary. ... After 5-8 minutes of hiking, look towards the west and see the sun glow over the cacti forest. About Saguaro National Park. Your email address will not be published. Both of these trails can be hiked as a short one or two mile hike with great views. We recommend at least one full day. Be sure to check out our gear recommendations as well as we earn a small commission on every item sold that helps keep the site up and running. Short and easy trail leading to ancient petroglyphs on a rocky hilltop. Between 1936 and 1939, the Civilian Conservation Corps built Cactus Forest Drive, designed as a scenic loop that allowed visitors to experience the unique ecosystem of the Sonoran Desert. You'll see saguaro cactus at every turn in this park, whether you're looking for a nearby lake, petroglyphs, or a great hike. The trailhead is at a parking area off East Broadway Boulevard. If you’re looking for an introduction to hiking in Tucson, but don’t have a lot of time, then check out the Valley View Overlook Trail. Those planning to do any serious hiking at Saguaro National Park are strongly advised to talk with rangers about their plans before setting out, and then to carry at least a gallon of water per day per person. Many people think exploring this 91,440-acre desert park is all about dodging the tall, spiny cacti that earned the place its name. But we also checked out a few smaller sites, events, and hikes in the park that are worth mentioning. Harvey Barrison. This park is wild, and we ran into a western diamondback rattlesnake in the middle of. This trail is less than a mile, but still one of the best hikes in Tucson. Saguaro National Park is a beautiful park that sandwiches Tucson, Arizona. The trail travels on for several more miles but I think this marks a good point to head back. There is a lot of information out there about the great outdoors but not all of it is useful. The trailhead can be found at the end of Signal Hill Road off of Golden Gate Road. Honorable mention: Tucson food scene. This area has been the backdrop of countless Old West movies and television shows filmed at the nearby Old Tucson. There are five trailheads which provide access to the Park's roughly 58,000 acres of desert and mountain terrain. Both districts of the park are open to hikers and bikers 24 hours a day every day except Christmas. In the far south of Arizona lies Saguaro National Park, America’s first national park created primarily to protect a plant species. Both districts have plants and animals that are similar, but you will find a Saguaro forest in the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) to the west and possible sightings of bears, cougars and coati in … While the park is hot and relatively unmanageable during the summers, it is a great place to take advantage of the many hikes in Saguaro National Park in winter and other times of the year. There are no backcountry campsites in the Tucson Mountain district of Saguaro National Park since it is small in area, and the longest single trail is 10 miles - well within the range of a day hike. A permit is required for overnight stays in the backcountry, the fee is $6 a night per campsite. It had been a long time since either of us had hiked in the desert, and we didn’t know what to expect. His favorite 20.3-mile route - including a 4,500-foot climb - reaches overlooks of Tucson and far beyond. Perfect Day: Saguaro National Park. A half day is all you need to see the highlights, but with more time you can tour the entire park, go on a day hike, or camp in the backcountry. Check out the 11 best things to do here. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. To explore all the U.S. National Parks at our own pace and off the beaten path. Go during spring or fall, avoid the summer heat. The trailhead can be found near the north boundary at the end of East Speedway Boulevard. Saguaro cacti and mountains in Saguaro National Park. It offers some of the best close-up views in "Saguaro East "of the mature cacti that are the signature plant of the park. The hike is more about the destination, not the journey, but there are plenty of picture-worthy views on your way. Bring more water and snacks than you think you’ll need. Winter might be nice too, especially if you see the rare snow on the saguaro cacti. Apart from the enormous cacti you’ll see along your journey, the highlight of this trail is Bridal Wreath Falls – a beautiful sight in the middle of the desert. Before you visit Saguaro National Park, there are a few things you need to know about this beautiful part of the Sonoran Desert. I hope you are able to get some good use out of it! Like any desert hiking, start as early as possible. Entrance Fees: Saguaro National Park Vehicle Weekly Pass – $20.00. Saguaro National Park is divided into two districts with Tucson in the middle. Crater Lake: Best Hikes, Itinerary and Planning Guide, Crater Lake: Restaurants & Accommodations, Shenandoah: Backpacking Overall Run & Beecher Ridge Trails, Crater Lake: Cleetwood Cove Trail and Boat Tour. Happy Hiking! There are five trailheads which provide access to the Park's roughly 58,000 acres of desert and mountain terrain. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Only found in a small portion of the U.S., these majestic behemoths are preserved in the desert landscape of the park. Organized groups are not eligible for the vehicle permit. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. West Saguaro Hikes: 1. If you’ve visited Joshua Tree and loved it, then Saguaro National Park might be next on your list – it’s a similar vibe but with big cactuses instead of Joshua Trees, and with a … Being so close to a larger city like Tucson makes Saguaro a very unique place to visit and allows people that wouldn’t necessarily venture to a more secluded park to get out and explore this desert landscape. I give you my two favorite trails one in Saguaro East on the left and one in Saguaro West on the right. The trailhead is on Bajada Loop Drive 3.5 miles north of Red Hills Visitor Center. When Is The Best Time To Visit Saguaro National Park? The park, as well as the surrounding Superstition Wilderness, is one of the most well-known spots for desert views. (self.NationalPark) submitted 1 year ago by MonolithFuzz. A visitor center near the park entrance includes a slide show, exhibits and information. Due to grazing and some cold snaps, a lot of young saguaros died. Kristin went in with low expectations, and she ended up loving the park. Coyote along Desert Loop Trail at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, The Mam-A-Gah Picnic Area en route to Wasson Peak. This hike is less than 1 mile. The remote Miller Creek Trail begins outside Saguaro National Park in Happy Valley on Coronado National Forest land, along FR 35 and about 16 miles north of I-10, exit 297 (Mescal Rd). For over a mile the path is through thick vegetation beside the creek, and almost level, but then begins a steady climb up a steep, manzanita-covered hillside, ending at a junction with the Heartbreak Ridge Trail. We hope they help you plan your trip! Assume you're carrying all your own water, a gallon per person, per day. After the park acquired the grazing rights, young saguaro are growing again, but they’ll take years to get to where they used to be. We generally only post about places we visit for a longer amount of time. From a trailhead on the east edge of Saguaro National Park, at the end of W Camino del Cerro (5.7 miles west of I-10 exit 252), the Sweetwater Trail follows a ravine for most of its 3.4 miles, climbing up to a narrow ridge running southwards from Wasson Peak, where the path joins the King Canyon Trail. Although Tanque Verde is one of the best hikes in Saguaro, this along with Rincon Peak Trail (below) are gradual inclines the entire time so know your limits and bring plenty of water. https://groganandgrogan.com/11-best-hiking-trails-saguaro-national-park Any sources in Saguaro Wilderness are very intermittent streams or springs. From hikes to desert features to sunsets, this list will help you plot out some of the best things to do in Saguaro National Park! Your email address will not be published. This is when the weather is perfect in this desert, when visitors can enjoy hikes and the desert is full of life. It's 8 looping, winding miles of untouched saguaro beauty, with plenty of pullouts for photo-taking opportunities and hikes to check out along the way. If you have more time, add a backpacking trip in Rincon Mountain District. We did the best we could, but still ended up hiking during the hottest time of day. Arizona's Saguaro National Park is known for two things: its vast forest of 100-year old saguaro cacti, and its incredible diversity of terrain. Both districts have plants and animals that are similar, but you will find a Saguaro forest in the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) to the west and possible sightings of bears, cougars and coati in … On Tucson's west side, much of the Tucson Mountains are located in Saguaro National Park West, where a forest of saguaros dots the jagged mountainsides. Here are our favorite spots in the park, along with some tips for visiting. Hiking the Sweetwater Trail to Wasson Peak in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, ... TUCSON: Best Hikes | Saguaro National Park (FULL HD) - Duration: 4:09. 11 Best Hiking Trails in the Saguaro National Park There’s nothing better to do in Tucson during the warm summer months than to spend time going hiking on the amazing hiking trails in the city. If you are in need of some new BOOTS, a new TENT or SLEEPING BAG, TREK POLES, etc. Overview. 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But Southern Arizona Hiking Club guide Steve Singkofer knows better. 7 Best Day Hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park Lassen Volcanic National Park is a hiker's paradise, offering everything from lakeshore strolls to summit hikes to backcountry adventures. Saguaro National Park is home to the giant saguaro, a universal symbol of the American west and the nation's largest cacti. Kristin went in with low expectations, and she ended up loving the park. Here, the park's 150-mile network of trails crosses everything from desert scrub to pine forest to snow-capped mountains. This is a steep trail to the summit of Stafford Peak offering great views of Tucson and the entire West district of Saguaro National Park. Saguaro cacti are the largest in the country; they live to more than 150 years old and can grow to over 45′ tall! Saguaro National Park is named for the Saguaro cactus, which grows only in the Sonoran Desert. It is never a bad time to explore some of the below hikes in Saguaro National Park, just make sure to bring along plenty of water! Hiking groups are limited to a maxi-mum of eighteen people. The park’s namesake, saguaro cacti dominate the landscape, which consists of desert flats and rugged mountain ranges. The trailhead is off Easy Happy Valley Road next to a fenced, private property. I will be visiting Saguaro NP in October and I love to hike, so what hikes would you recommended? Best hikes in Saguaro? Get a high-clearance vehicle, especially if going to the Miller Creek or Turkey Creek trailheads. 6109 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction White Tank Mountain Regional Park. Or use a National Park pass ($80 for annual pass) | Trailhead Location. Tucson, AZ separates Saguaro National Park into two regions – Tucson Mountain District (West) and Rincon Mountain District (East). The trailhead is next to the parking lot off of Cactus Forest Drive. Help me, help you – we make a small commission every time an item or piece of gear is purchased after clicking on the links on our GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS pages. At no additional cost to you, it helps us keep posting more great hiking recommendations for our readers! Switchbacks for the last mile get you to the top of Wasson Peak (4687′). Best backpacking trails in Saguaro National Park | AllTrails HEY YOU, reading this page! The following entrance fees and passes are exclusively for Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona. Visit the Desert Museum Another option: skip Tucson Mountain District entirely and plan a 3-plus-day backpacking trip in the Rincon Mountain District. Head back via Hugh Norris and Sendero Esperanza to make a loop of the area. In the north of the Rincon Mountain District (RMD), the 5.2-mile roundtrip Douglas Spring Trail begins among towering saguaro cacti but takes you up into the foothills of the Rincon Mountains. Por mas informacion o para pedir este programa concorde a sus planes en visitar el parque, por favor llame al centro de visita oeste (520) 733-5158 y pregunte por el guia Freddy Fernandez. The trailhead is located off Kinney Road across from the Desert Museum. There's no place where it's more obvious that life can thrive and be beautiful, even in the harshest of conditions. I will be visiting both the east and west side, so please recommend hikes for both :) I created ‘Trailhead Traveler’ for those wanting to know the can’t miss hikes on their next upcoming trip; the trails that will stay in your memory long after you’ve left. Saguaro National Park: The Best Hikes are in the Eastern Rincon Side - See 975 traveler reviews, 868 candid photos, and great deals for Tucson, AZ, at Tripadvisor. Much like we experienced in Saguaro National Park itself, I was pleasantly surprised – this time by the amount of high-quality and different varieties of cuisine we were able to try during our trip. On our visit, we did nearly a dozen hikes in this spectacular park. Saguaro National Park surprised us around every turn. An eastern collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) on Tanque Verde Trail. Stay alert. Photographed on the Discovery Desert Trail. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. If it has to do with any part of the US national park system (national parks, national monuments, national seashores, national recreation areas, national historic sites, etc) ... Best hikes in Saguaro NP? Accessed from the eastern boundary of the park, this trail gets you to the 3rd highest summit in Saguaro (8482′). With two districts, there is more than enough opportunity to appreciate the majestic Saguaro Cactus that covers the park grounds. Tucson, AZ separates Saguaro National Park into two regions – Tucson Mountain District (West) and Rincon Mountain District (East). That makes Saguaro a true four-season destination. Home » US National Parks » Saguaro. Kim’s also into long-distance hiking and plans to hike the backcountry of Saguaro National Park someday when she tackles the Arizona Trail. Click here for more National Park hikes!You can also view some of our most popular Gear Recommendations here! This view at an overlook on the Cactus Forest Loop Drive used to have hundreds of saguaros. A gradual climb through the rocky desert until you get to Sweetwater Trail junction where the trail steepens. Cody Abroad 257 views. Hiking in Saguaro National Park Though the mountainous desert topography might look intimidating, Saguaro National Park is one of the easier national parks to hike. Saguaro National Park is a beautiful park that sandwiches Tuscon, Arizona and is divided into West and East. Distance: 0.8 mile round trip Time: 30-45 minutes Difficulty: easy Elevation: 50 feet Trailhead: Along the Bajada Loop Drive Best time to visit: anytime – but there’s no shade so make sure to consider this when visiting in the summer heat!Mornings/evenings would be a much better time to hike in the warmer months It had been a long time since either of us had hiked in the desert, and we didn’t know what to expect. Saguaro National Park: The Best Hikes are in the Eastern Rincon Side - See 975 traveler reviews, 868 candid photos, and great deals for Tucson, AZ, at Tripadvisor. This is an easy park to visit, with scenic drives and short walks among the towering cacti. Remove Ads The best time to visit Saguaro National Park is between October and April-- that's when the weather is ideal, and more park … The Tucson Mountain District sits 10 miles west of Tucson while the Rincon Mountain District (my personal favorite) lies 10 miles east. A crested saguaro (at mile 2.5) is a unique view, as well as "the Dome" (a large exposed surface at mile 3) offers even more breath-taking views. Saguaro National Park, just outside of Tucson, Arizona, is home to the largest cacti in the US. Parking: $25 for entrance into Saguaro National Park. Admits one single, private, non-commercial vehicle or RV and all its passengers. This trail continues to Juniper Basin Campground (6.9 mile mark, 3000 feet elevation) as well as Tanque Verde Peak (8.7 miles, 4000 feet elevation). Given its location in the Sonoran Desert, winter and the shoulder seasons are the best times to visit Saguaro National Park. Case in point: Saguaro National Park. Combining Mica View, Mesquite, Cholla, and Cactus Forest Trails, hikers get an easy, relatively short hike through the desert landscape. Saguaro National Park is divided into two districts with Tucson in the middle. If you only have a couple days, explore the Tucson Mountain District. Required fields are marked *. Douglas Spring Trail. National Park Service Saguaro National Park Hiking in the Cactus Forest Rincon Mountain District Visitor Center (520) 733-5153 Leave all plants, animals, rocks and other natural and historic features undisturbed. And rightly so—even though this is a desert area, it’s plants that run the show. Most of the hike follows the top of the ridge line on your way up to Tanque Verde Peak so the views are pretty hard to beat. The weather can make it uncomfortable in the hot summer months so most visitors go between November and March. Official Website. Saguaro National Park invita al publico atender un programa especial en espanol ofrecido en pedido a grupos familiares y escolares. Established in 1933 as a national monument, the original park comprised the Rincon Mountain District east of Tucson. If you go to Saguaro, take advantage of Tucson’s proximity to the park. Saguaro National Park is unique in that its 92,000 acres are actually two different units separated by the city of Tucson. The beautiful weather and spectacular scenery that Tucson is known for is on full display throughout the myriad of picturesque hikes that can be found in the area. 11. Saguaro U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Saguaro National Park Trails in the Tucson Mountain District Red Hills Visitor Center (520) 733-5158 Cactus Garden Trail (100 yards) The Cactus Garden Trail is located in front of the Red A Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis), about to go inside its hole in a saguaro. Saguaro National Park is a dream destination for those that want to feel humbled by the environment and have an obsession with all things desert (that’s me!).. please consider buying after clicking on one of the links on our site! The Rincon Mountain District also offers plenty of other trails for longer day hikes as well as trips into the high-country wilderness. Saguaro National Park offers more than 160 miles of hiking trails, ranging from short interpretive hikes to day-long adventures in the Saguaro wilderness (designated in 1976). The trailhead is at the end of North Scenic Drive towards the north boundary of the park. Saguaro National Park has many interesting trails to hike in both the Eastern and Western districts. Probably the most colorful lizard we saw in the park! Give yourself enough time to explore Manning Camp and the surrounding area. Being so close to a larger city like Tucson makes Saguaro a very unique place to visit and allows people that wouldn’t necessarily venture to a more secluded park to get out and explore this desert landscape. 5 Recommended Hikes in Saguaro National Park 1. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Valley View Overlook Trail. Your email address will not be published. The History Of Saguaro National Park. 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