Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park is located in southern Arizona, with its two sections flanking the city of Tucson. The park is named after the large saguaro cactus, which is native to the desert environment there. In the western Tucson Mountain District, the Signal Hill Trail takes visitors to petroglyphs created by the ancient Hohokam people. Meanwhile, in the eastern Rincon Mountain District, Cactus Forest Drive offers a loop road with impressive views of the desert scenery.

We did both sections, West and East sides of the park, and both were equally amazing! The cost to enter the park is $25 per vehicle. We started our tour on the west side; the landscape quickly transitioned from barren desert to a densely populated landscape of saguaro cacti as far as the eye could see. We stopped into the visitor center to grab a map and buy a new sticker to add to the collection on the rig. We packed a cooler with lots of drinks/water and a lunch as there are no places to purchase food or drink in the parks. There were stops along the way with restrooms, and cell service was good at all times.

Website for Saguaro National Park

 https://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

We enjoyed a few short trail hikes. Walking amongst the towering saguaros was spectacular. Some were short, some tall with many arms. What we learned about saguaros is that they take a lot of years to grow. Some of these are upwards of 150 years old. They don’t even grow arms until they are at least 75-100 years old. The tallest saguaro on record was 78 feet tall but fell in 1986 due to a windstorm.

This one must be really old

There were many varieties of cacti we saw that day, all beautiful and unique. We didn't see much wildlife, just a few birds and lizards. The weather was perfect, and going in the winter months is still warm yet comfortable. I can see in the summer months it would be scorching out there. Fewer crowds too at this time, which made stops so much easier to find parking.

The drive was really beautiful as we made our way through the park over to the East side, having to cut through Tucson to get there. The East side is picturesque, a drivable loop that you can enjoy from the seat of your vehicle as well as offers places to stop for photo ops.

Plan for an entire day, dress for the weather, and bring layers even if it's hot. The desert weather can change quickly in the fall and winter.

We did notice there were campsites within the park, and what an amazing experience and place it would be to stay. We're not sure if it's big rig friendly or not.

After a fabulous day exploring this amazing park, we ventured back into Tucson to find a new brewery to try for a bite and flight. Iron John's was the perfect stop to quench our thirst, and the burgers were tasty good!

https://ironjohnsbrewing.com/

Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico, is the only place on Earth where the saguaro cacti grow, and we feel blessed to have spent a day with these grand old giants.

~Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.~

Bill & Cat