National Park Week 2023 Day 4 – Saguaro National Park!

Last December, we visited Saguaro National Park in southeast Arizona as part of our cross-country trip. Saguaro is home to the huge saguaro cactus, the tall one with multiple arms that you typically think of when you hear about cacti in the American West. Well, there are tons of them clustered together here! This region is the only place where this variety grows.

Saguaro NP has two different regions in the city of Tucson. The western side, which is where we went, is smaller but has a denser cluster of cacti. The eastern side has a larger driving loop and more hiking trails. The key activities to do on either side are to drive the scenic roads and hike the marked trails to get a closer look at these fascinating plants.

When you go, stop at the Visitors Centers to learn more about the park and see if there are ranger-led activities that day, as well. If using Google Maps, be sure to map it to the correct side. The Red Hills Visitor Center is on the western side, while the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center is on the eastern side. They’re an hour apart.

This park may seem similar to Joshua Tree National Park in southern California but the plants and landscape are actually very different. If you like desert fauna though, that would make for another fun trip.

If you’re planning a trip to Saguaro, you can also go camping or hiking in the nearby mountains or head into Tucson for plenty of activities. Phoenix is about 2 hours north or you can keep going to Sedona and Flagstaff 4-5 hours north of this park. If you have even more time, include a trip to the Grand Canyon, about 7 hours north of Saguaro.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to chat about planning a trip here.