Saguaro National Park Travel Guide
Entrance to the West section
by blueskyjohn
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Entrance to the West section
by blueskyjohn
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Things to Do
by blueskyjohn
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Trail leading up from the King Canyon...
by blueskyjohn
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Things to Do
by blueskyjohn
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Things to Do
by blueskyjohn
Pro
Cacti, strange plants and rare animals, restaurant :-)
In a nutshell
Get the Wild, Wild West feeling here
Explore Saguaro National Park
Desert Discovery Trail
blueskyjohn Says:
This is another interpretive trail just down the road from the visitor center in the west district. The entire trail is paved. It meanders for less than a 1/2 mile and is a loop walk. It is completely flat and very easy. There are rest points scattered along the way with...
Sus Picnic Area
blueskyjohn Says:
Located in the west section of the park, Sus is a short distance off the road. Most of the picnic tables are completely exposed to the sun. There are two tables under some shelter but these are the only two. All picnic tables also has standing grill and there is one...
Cactus Garden Trail
blueskyjohn Says:
The Cactus Garden Trail begins to the left of the visitor center. The trail is paved and is very short. This is an interpretive trail with signs identifying plants and cactus indigenous to the park. If you want to learn about this plants and be able to identify them as you...
Javelina Wash Trail
blueskyjohn Says:
This trail starts at the end of the Cactus Garden Trail. Javelina drops down into a wash that circles behind the visitor center. The trail is only about 600 feet long. This is a very boring trail and you would be better off just to avoid.
Red Hills Visitor Center
blueskyjohn Says:
The Red Hills visitor center is located in the west section of the park. It is a little bigger the the visitor center in the east. They have a self pay station but you have to get out of you car. It is to the right before you enter the visitor center. Inside the visitor...
Mica View Picnic Area
blueskyjohn Says:
Mica View is located in the east section. This is a nice picnic area but there are better ones. Most of the grills and picnic tables are completely exposed to the sun. Nice in the mornings but can be dusty if the wind blows.
Cactus Forest Loop Drive
blueskyjohn Says:
This is a pleasant drive that starts just after the Ranger booth at the Rincon District (east) visitor center. The drive starts to the left and becomes a one way the entire time. The total drive is 8 miles long. At 1.5 miles, there is the Cactus Forest overlook. At 2 miles...
East Visitor Center
blueskyjohn Says:
If you want to hike or check out the East section (also called the Rincon Mountain District) of Saguaro N.P., is a good place to start is the East visitor center. At this visitor center you can purchase your pass which is good for 7 days and cost $10. It is also good for the...
Mam-A-Gah Picnic Area
blueskyjohn Says:
This is a very nice and established picnic area. There is an open shelter, three cement picnic tables and a great fireplace/grill. This is all great with the exception that it is 1 mile from the King Canyon Trailhead. So you would have to carry everything back to the site....
Ironwood Terraces: Comfortable Settings
Yaqui Says:
We needed to get out of the sun for a while, so we ventured into here. We all got Ices and ice cream. I think after spending the whole day out in the sun, we deserved a treat. The cafe has a wonderful variety of selection of food to purchase. A little pricey. Yet, it was...
Nimbus: don't miss the monkey
richiecdisc Says:
Nimbus was one of the great surprises on the brewpub search of a six-month trip around the United States. It wasn't in a super convenient location. Even if you were staying in Tuscon proper, it was on the outskirts and in an industrial area at that. We were camping in the...
Gift shop of Red Hills Visitor Center: Books on Sonora Desert
matcrazy1 Says:
There are a lot of books on Arizona and Sonora Desert to choose from in a gift shop inside the building of Red Hills Visitor Center (West Unit).
I revied a few books on Arizona and Sonora Desert and... all were great! Hmm... I didn't buy any.
$5 to $40 for a book as I...
Gift shop of Red Hills Visitor Center: Postcards
matcrazy1 Says:
You can buy mainly a lot of various book on Arizona and Sonora Desert and postcards in a gift shop of Red Hills Visitor Center. It's the visitor center of the western unit of the Saguaro National Park.
Postcards - smaller or larger.
$0.75 - $1.0.
Abandoned Mines!
blueskyjohn Says:
The are does have abandoned mines. Some are covered with warnings but you may come across one that is not. Do not go in these mines! They can collapse and many rodents live inside. The sign below was not facing the trail strangely enough. I had to walk to the other side on...
Water~water~water
Yaqui Says:
Although we had brought plenty of water, we went through it pretty quick since it was so hot, around 111. Every time we came upon shade, we sat and took it easy. We had been spending all day in the sun and at times our bodies reminded us we needed those breaks with plenty of...
Sus Picnic Area
matcrazy1 Says:
Driving Scenic Bajada Loop Drive I drove to Sus Picnic Area. There are a lot of various very interesting plants there: cacti including saguaros, palo verde trees, ocotillos and creosote bushes. Add a lot of fast running lizards :-). So, don't forget to turn left driving...
Hike the Valley View Overlook Trail
blueskyjohn Says:
This trail is an in and out hike about 1 mile long round trip. The trail head is on the road with a small pull out that can fit several cars. The hike is fairly flat and wide with little exposure steps are constructed to minimize erosion and make it easier to hike. Along the...
Gould Mine Trail
blueskyjohn Says:
The trail head to the Gould Mine Trail is actually before you get to the entrance of the park. You park in a dirt lot that sit just outside the park boundary. The name of the trail head is Kings Canyon trailhead. You also access the Kings canyon trail here.Gould Mine Trail...
Keep a map~
Yaqui Says:
Off the Golden Gate Road you have access to the Prophecy Wash Trail, Encinas Trail, Ez-Him-In_Zin picnic area, Wild Dog Trail, Signal Hill picnic area. If you keep following this road it takes you too Sandario Road which willl take you to Kinney Road and this is where the...
Saguaro Cactus
Yaqui Says:
Saguaros grow mostly in the south of Arizona and Mexico in the Sonora Desert from sea level to 4,000 feet. They are a slow growing plant that grows between 1 and 1.5 inches in the first eight years of its life. What is so amazing is how long these magnificent plant lives....
Explore Deeper into Saguaro National Park
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