I’m going to be very upfront with you about this National Park: I have no idea how to pronounce it. I’ve heard Saguaro spoken out loud by several people who live in Arizona, and they all pronounce it a different way. Due to this, I’m fairly confident that I’m very wrong in how I sound when I speak this Park’s name out loud, so I’m grateful that this is a written word medium. What I am confident about though is that this is a very cool (and not cool at all) National Park.
Stepping off my flight at Tucson International, there was a legit giddiness that came over me when I spotted my first Saguaro cactus while waiting for the rental car. As a Florida resident for the past two decades, the desert in general might be the most foreign landscape I can imagine. The air is dry (I’m used to essentially swimming through my day humidity-wise compared to this place) while the ground is somehow even drier (this is not the powder white sugar sand of my beloved Anna Maria Island), and the vegetation might as well be from an alien planet compared to the sprawling Live Oaks back in the other Sunshine State.
Welcome to Tucson and the Sonoran Desert
Looking back on this first Saguaro sighting and the giddiness that it caused, I can’t help but chuckle at my naivety (which looks similar to another word but has way less Saviors, donkeys, and wise men). Knowing little about this Park before journeying out west, I thought that this place might be a unique sanctuary of this specific type of cactus. That maybe it was rare and Teddy Roosevelt single-handedly saved this cactus from extinction by setting aside this land (yes I know that Teddy had nothing to do with this Park – it was actually Herbert Hoover – but his legend regarding the National Parks is ever present). What you quickly learn as you drive through Tucson in search of coffee and Spanish Missions (like the fascinating San Xavier del Bac Mission) is that this cactus is EVERYWHERE.
Some of these cacti (weird that the word for many of these is shorter than the one for just one of them) are massive, some are small, some are perfect in their complexion, while others look battle-scarred, but one thing is for sure: you’d be hard pressed to turn in any direction in this part of the country and not see one somewhere in your field of view.
Why Does Saguaro National Park Exist?
Unlike some Parks, you’d be hard pressed to know that you’ve reached the boundaries without the signage telling you that you’re now in a National Park. While yes, the Saguaro per square foot inside the Park certainly seems to be at its highest concentration that I witnessed, it certainly doesn’t appear to be drastically higher than outside the gates, or even what is found a few hundred miles away north of Phoenix. So, then that begs the question, with the abundance of this cactus, and the stereotypical imagery of its very shape being synonymous with deserts the world over (at least in Western culture), why does this Park exist?
In the late 1920s, Homer L. Shantz, the President of the University of Arizona laid out his vision for the Saguaro National Monument (and now Park) for it to be “…a great natural area for maintaining the botanical and zoological forms of the Southwest under natural conditions.” While air conditioning had technically been invented some 20 years earlier, the forward-thinking Shantz, and other preservationists of his time, more than likely never could have imagined the explosive growth that the state of Arizona would experience over the next century and how important it would be to set aside this land to stay wild and untouched. Thanks to their actions a century ago, future generations, who are able to brave the desert heat, will be able to know what it’s like to explore this fascinating landscape under the watchful gaze of these prickly giants.
Split into two with the city of Tucson in between the Eastern and Western portions, Saguaro National Park encompasses some 145 square miles of Sonoran Desert. Due to the time I had available on this trip, I was only able to explore the Western portion which is known for being more car friendly, with easier hikes. While I did have good hiking shoes with me, on this trip I was all about doing some light exploring so it was an easy decision to head West.
Desert Discovery Nature Trail
Just pass the Visitor’s Center, there is the Desert Discovery Nature Trail that weaves you in and out of exceptionally tall and pristine Saguaros and is ideal for families with young children who want to get a taste of the Park without venturing too far into the desert. This trail features loads of informational and colorful signage that teaches Park goers about not only the lifecycle of the Saguaros, but the varied desert animals and vegetation. One quickly learns that the desert is teeming with life and is not at all some barren landscape like many assume.
Bajada Scenic Loop
While the Western part of the Park is considered car friendly, I do know that the Bajada Scenic Loop – the main road to the sights, is a dirt road and that your vehicle is going to get dusty. This 5.2 mile-long Loop is a very easy drive, even if you don’t have a four-wheel drive vehicle, and if you stay in your car you’d get a good view of what the park has to offer in a short amount of time, but it’s well worth it to get out of the car at each stop along the way.
Sus Picnic Area and Hugh Norris Trail
Coming from the Red Hills Visitor Center in the South, the first stop is the Sus picnic area which has a restroom and fun name (though I didn’t find anything about the place Sus). If you truly have a good amount of time and are wanting to get a solid hike in (and you’re certain that you have plenty of desert hiking gear), the next stop is the Hugh Norris (no known relation to Chuck) Trailhead. This trail takes you across most of the southern section of this side of the Park, but I would absolutely avoid it with young children.
Valley View Overlook
The next stop though is perfect for most everyone who is wanting to get out and explore a short trail (0.8 miles round trip with a mere 49 feet in elevation gain) that rewards hikers with epic views with the aptly named Valley View Overlook Trail. I thoroughly enjoyed this trail and spent a long time at the overlook taking in the sunlight dancing across the valley floor far below. While hiking this trail, I spotted plenty of Teddybear Cholla Cacti (which begs you to touch it but that desire should absolutely be ignored), Candy Barrel Cacti (again with the cutesy name for something that should absolutely not be touched), and an impossible to photograph Antelope Jackrabbit. Can’t recommend this trail enough.
Signal Hill
As the road circles around Apache Peak and heads back west, the last major stop is Signal Hill. I loved Signal Hill. It’s another short hike with very little elevation change (in fact calling this a trail is a massive stretch – think of it more of a walk up a hill, with the possibility of rattlesnakes), but again you’re rewarded with another epic view and allowed to get up close to centuries old petroglyphs from indigenous inhabitants of the area. These carvings carry with them this ancient…wonder to them. While some of the signage from researchers seems to indicate that they were unsure of the reason for these carvings, to me it was clear that these people were sun worshipers who found a great spot from which to observe the passing of the source of all life, shining down from above.
Personally, I felt very moved standing up there in such a place, especially since while I was admiring the carving, the sun came out from behind clouds that had covered the sky for most of my time in the Park up until then. Most of my best photos from the day came during this time (there is something magic about the sun mixed with blue skies above the desert landscape).
And that’s Saguaro National Park. I know, you’re no closer to having a clue how to pronounce this desert sanctuary, but I do hope your interest in exploring it someday was piqued. One day I hope to make my way back to the Tucson area and explore the Eastern part of the Park, which has the oldest and most dense Saguaro forest (who knew they were called forests?) in the Sonoran Desert.