United States Arizona

Saguaro National Park

A U.S. park in Arizona famous for towering cacti, desert landscapes, and diverse wildlife, divided into two districts east and west of Tucson.

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Arizona’s smallest national park is situated in the midst of the Sonoran Desert and is the only place in the world where you can find wild-growing saguaros. These tree-like cacti can grow up to 40 feet tall, live for anywhere between 150 and 200 years, and were the main reason why the park’s 92,000 acres of steppeland were designated a protected natural area in 1994. The presence of the saguaro creates a one-of-a-kind habitat, housing a complex ecosystem of cougars, bobcats, javelinas, gray foxes, jackrabbits, desert cottontails, ring-tailed cats, and white-nosed coatis. Saguaro National Park is uniquely separated into two distinct sections: the Rincon Mountain District, which lies about 10 miles east of Tucson, and the Tucson Mountain District, 10 miles to the west. Each portion of the park features a different selection of flora and fauna, though from any viewpoint, visitors can marvel at the picture-perfect scenes of saguaros at the forefront of endless mountainsapes. Hikers and campers trekking through any of the 165 miles of trail systems can admire 800-year-old Hohokam petroglyphs, while drivers cruising Cactus Forest Loop Drive can stop to see quintessential southwestern panoramas.

savannah.whitmer 3 years ago

Not a Clint Eastwood western goes by without a saguaro cactus popping up somewhere or other. A veritable symbol of the frontier lands of the Southwest, the great long-armed desert dwellers make a fantastic show at the Saguaro National Park in Arizona. Encapsulating over 90,000 acres in the midst of the Sonoran Desert, the reserve pulls in visitors with the promise of dramatic sunsets and sightings of the Tucson Mountains with the spiny cacti all around. Visit in April to catch the saguaro in full bloom.

jrfrancis 3 years ago

Witness the Sonoran Desert light up in a blaze of cloud-white flowers, all courtesy of the brief, but wonderful, bloom of the saguaro cactus. Muted temperatures also mean spring is perfect for hiking the mesas and bluffs in Saguaro National Park.

jrfrancis 3 years ago

A favorite—hiking, birding, biking. The most beautiful sunsets you will ever see.

lwithrow 3 years ago

Saguaro National Park Articles

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  • Arizona’s National Parks: Ranked

    Whether you’re on a US national park road trip or looking to spend some time diving-deep into the wonders of the Southwest, Arizona’s National Parks will give you a taste of the desert (with a twist). Grand Canyon National Park lies about an hour and a half outside of Flagstaff, and is, of course, worth […]

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  • Saguaro National Park: The Complete Guide for 2023

    “Do whatever you want” – the Saguaro cactus. Pronounced “suh·waa·row,” these tree-like blossoming desert cacti are kind of hard to define. They can live 200 years. They can grow up to 49 arms. But there’s no pressure, so some of them don’t grow any arms at all. Some Saguaros spend 10 years growing only two […]

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