Saguaro National Park has two locations…one on the west side of Tucson and the second on the east side of the city. The Saguaro West Tucson Mountain District is only about 10 miles from our RV park.
We had visited this park about 5 years ago, but were anxious to return. Our first stop was the Red Hills Visitor Center where we picked up a park brochure and map.
About a mile north of the Visitor Center is the Desert Discovery Nature Trail, a .5 mile, loop, paved trail on the left. There are many saguaros along the trail from a few inches tall to 40’ or taller. They can live to be 150 to 175 years old at which point they will lose their arms and become skeletons that fall to the ground. It always makes me a little sad to see an old one...
The smaller saguaros can be seen near a nurse tree or bush (that has provided protection for the fragile young plants).
In addition to the saguaros, there are many other cacti and desert bushes. Check out the bright red fruits on the prickly pear.
Continuing north on Kinney Road for about a mile, we turned right onto Bajada Loop Drive, a 5-mile, unpaved road (we drove it in our Mini Countryman with no problem). Our first stop was the Valley View Overlook Trail (.8 mile round-trip). The saguaro forest here was amazing!
The trail had interpretive signs that provided interesting info about the plant life here. The photos below are: palo verde tree, ironwood tree, ocotillo, and chain fruit cholla.
Wolfberry (below) is an important food source for cactus wrens as are their flowers to hummingbirds.
We have seen so many lizards of various sizes in the desert here. I usually not quick enough to snap a photo, but I was able to capture this guy. They blend in so well with the desert floor!
During the Great Depression (1930s), the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) built ramadas, tables, restrooms, etc., designed by the National Park Service at Saguaro NP. We saw several of them along this trail. I love how they blend in so well with the environment.
The short Signal Hill Trail leads to petroglyphs that date to 450 to 1450 CE. They were created the Hohokam people who lived in the region. Along the way we saw this mesquite tree with many pods for harvesting. This was a staple for Native Americans due to its high protein content (35%) and abundance in the desert terrain.
A marker along the trail provides info about the petroglyphs, although their meaning has been lost over the centuries. Looking up to the top of the hill, you can start to see them.
The trail continues to the top of Signal Hill where there are more petroglyphs on the other side and great views of the desert floor.
We have come to love this part of the country and this National Park is a great place to explore the Sonoran Desert. We will definitely visit the Rincon Mountain District of the park while we are in Tucson. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Tucson, this park should be near the top of your list!
Admission to the park is $20/vehicle for 7 days. Our senior pass (a lifetime pass to National Park System sites that you can purchase at age 62+) gets us in for free. It’s the best deal in the country! For additional information about Saguaro National Park, go to www.nps.gov/sagu.
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