Travel Around USA
  • Home
  • Things to do
    • Choose A State >
      • The West >
        • Alaska, AK >
          • Anchorage
          • Seward
          • Homer
          • Sitka
          • Fairbanks
        • Arizona, AZ >
          • Phoenix
        • California, CA >
          • Los Angeles
          • San Francisco
          • San Diego
          • Orange County
          • Sacramento
        • Colorado, CO >
          • Denver
        • Hawaii, HI >
          • Oahu
          • Maui
          • Big Island
          • Kaua'i
          • Mokika'i
          • Lana'i
        • Idaho, ID >
          • Boise
        • Montana, MT >
          • Helena
        • Nevada, NV >
          • Las Vegas
        • New Mexico, NM >
          • Santa Fe
          • Albuquerque
        • Oregon, OR >
          • Portland
        • Utah, UT >
          • Salt Lake City
        • Washington, WA >
          • Seattle
        • Wyoming, WY
      • The Mid-West >
        • Illinois, IL >
          • Chicago
        • Indiana, IN
        • Iowa, IA
        • Kansas, KS
        • Michigan, MI
        • Minnesota, MN
        • Missouri, MO
        • Nebraska, NE
        • North Dakota, ND
        • Ohio, OH
        • South Dakota, SD
        • Wisconsin, WI
      • The North-East >
        • Connecticut, CT
        • Maine, ME
        • Massachusetts, MA >
          • Boston
        • New Hampshire, NH
        • New Jersey, NJ
        • New York, NY >
          • New York City, NYC
        • Pennsylvania, PA >
          • Philadelphia
        • Rhode Island, RI
        • Vermont, VT
      • The South >
        • Alabama, AL
        • Arkansas, AR
        • Delaware, DE
        • District Of Columbia, DC >
          • Washington DC
        • Florida, FL >
          • Miami
          • Fort Lauderdale
          • Orlando
        • Georgia, GA >
          • Atlanta
        • Kentucky, KY
        • Louisiana, LA >
          • New Orleans
        • Maryland, MD
        • Mississippi, MS
        • North Carolina, NC
        • Oklahoma, OK
        • South Carolina, SC
        • Tennessee, TN >
          • Memphis
        • Texas, TX >
          • Dallas
          • Houston
          • Austin
          • San Antonio
        • Virginia, VA
        • West Virginia, WV
      • United States Virgin Islands
    • National Parks >
      • Find a Park Near You >
        • The West >
          • Alaska National and State Parks >
            • Denali National Park & Preserve, AK
            • Gates of the Arctic National Park, AK
            • Glacier Bay National Park, AK
            • Katmai National Park and Preserve, AK
            • Kenai Fjords National Park, AK
            • Kobuk Valley National Park, AK
            • Lake Clark National Park, AK
            • Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, AK
          • Arizona National and State Parks >
            • Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
            • Petrified Forest National Park, AZ
            • Saguaro National Park, AZ
          • California National and State Parks >
            • Channel Islands National Park, CA
            • Death Valley National Park, CA
            • Joshua Tree National Park, CA
            • Kings Canyon National Park, CA
            • Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA
            • Redwood National Park, CA
            • Sequoia National Park, CA
            • Yosemite National Park, CA
          • Colorado National and State Parks >
            • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO
            • Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO
            • Mesa Verde National Park, CO
            • Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
          • Hawaii National and State Parks >
            • Haleakala National Park, HI
            • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI
          • Idaho National and State Parks
          • Montana National and State Parks >
            • Glacier National Park, MT
          • Nevada National and State Parks >
            • Great Basin National Park, NV
          • New Mexico National and State Parks >
            • Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
          • Oregon National and State Parks >
            • Crater Lake National Park, OR
          • Utah National and State Parks >
            • Arches National Park, UT
            • Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
            • Canyonlands National Park, UT
            • Capitol Reef National Park, UT
            • Zion National Park, UT
          • Washington National and State Parks >
            • Mount Rainier National Park, WA
            • North Cascades National Park, WA
            • Olympic National Park, WA
          • Wyoming National and State Parks >
            • Grand Teton National Park, WY
            • Yellowstone National Park, ID, MT, WY
        • The Mid-West >
          • Michigan National and State Parks >
            • Isle Royale National Park, MI
          • Minnesota National and State Parks >
            • Voyageurs National Park, MN
          • North Dakota National and State Parks >
            • Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND
          • Ohio National and State Parks >
            • Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH
          • South Dakota National and State Parks >
            • Badlands National Park, SD
            • Wind Cave National Park, SD
        • The North -East >
          • Maine National and State Parks >
            • Acadia National Park, ME
        • The South >
          • Arkansas National and State Parks >
            • Hot Springs National Park, AR
          • Florida National and State Parks >
            • Biscayne National Park, FL
            • Dry Tortugas National Park, FL
            • Everglades National Park, FL
          • Kentucky National and State Parks >
            • Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
          • North Carolina National and State Parks >
            • Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC, TN
          • South Carolina National and State Parks >
            • Congaree National Park, SC
          • Texas National and State Parks >
            • Big Bend National Park, TX
            • Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX
          • Virginia National and State Parks >
            • Shenandoah National Park, VA
        • Virgin Islands National Park, VI
        • National Park of American Samoa
  • Blog
    • Forum
    • Fun Facts
    • Plan & Play
  • Contact
  • NYC WALKING TOURS

Saguaro National Park
ARIZONA

Saguaro National Park

Visit the Giant Saguaros of the Sonoran Desert

Picture
Named for the giant Saguaro Cactus which are unique to the Sonoran Desert, Saguaro National Park protects a unique landscape of desert scrub and grassland surrounding the city of Tucson, Arizona.

Visiting Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park is separated into two districts surrounding Tucson, Arizona.  The  Rincon Mountain District is located east of the city and the Tucson Mountain District is located outside northwest of Tucson.

The park is open year-round. High temperatures from May through September often exceed 100 degree Fahrenheit.  October through April, visitors can experience cooler highs in the 60s to 70s with temperatures dropping below freezing occasionally overnight.

Activities of Saguaro National Park
Hiking is popular in the park with more than 165 miles of hiking trails throughout the park.  Hiking loops such as the Mica View Loop offers a quick look at the cactus landscape while longer hikes, such as the 5.6-mile Garwood Loop, travel into the foothills of the Rincon Moutains and offer great views of the Catalina Mountains. In the Tucson Mountain District, the Signal Hill Petroglyphs Trail offers a glimpse of history while the Hugh Norris Trail offers the longest hike in the western district at 4.9 miles one-way to the top of Wasson Peak. Six campgrounds, ranging in elevation from 4,800 feet to 8,000 feet above sea level, are located throughout the park.

Park rangers in Saguaro National Park offers several guided interpretive programs throughout both areas of the park. Join park rangers on guided morning hikes, moonlight hikes, or illustrated talks on the park’s flora and fauna. Program schedules change throughout the year.

For younger patrons, the Junior Ranger Program can learn about the desert environment through various activities and programs.

Animals and Plants in Saguaro National Park
Having adapted to the high temperatures and lack of water, several animals call the park home. Jackrabbits, horned lizards and Gila monsters are frequently encountered.   Bobcats, mountain lions and black bears thrive in the park as well, so visitors should always be aware.

The Gila woodpecker, elf owl, Anna’s hummingbird, Harris’s hawk, roadrunner and many other birds make birdwatching in Saguaro National Park very popular and rewarding.

Of course, the park gets its name from the giant saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) that stand as silhouettes against the desert sky. The lifespan of a saguaro is about 150 to 175 years. These cacti can grow as tall as 50 feet and may weigh more than six tons. The cacti bloom from late April through early June, opening their flowers in the night and closing them during the high daytime temperatures.

History of Saguaro National Park
In 1933, Saguaro National Park became the first U.S. national park unit established to protect a species of plant.  President John F. Kennedy expanded the land in 1961 and Congress designated 71,400 acres as wilderness lands in 1976.  In October of 1994, President Bill Clinton enlarged the park boundaries once more to create America’s 52nd national park.

Click to see a detailed Saguaro National Park map.

©2015 Travel Around USA. All Rights Reserved.