Like with most parks, the National Geographic Trails Illustrated map is your best choice if you’re looking for a single detailed Saguaro National Park trail map with topographic lines, trail mileages, and wilderness campsites. 1. If you have more time, add a backpacking trip in Rincon Mountain District. Amole Peak in middle and Wasson Peak is far left. Trail, located near Saguaro National Park (West) - Tucson Mountain District, Arizona is a 1.6 mile hiking, trail running and walking trail with a top elevation of 2725 feet. Saguaro National Park is divided into two districts with Tucson in the middle. The trail is most noteable for it’s abundance of petroglyphys from the prehistoric Hokokam people. The Cactus Forest Trail is a long 10-mile hike that can be broken down into smaller segments, since there are essentially four starting points for the trailheads. Kristin went in with low expectations, and she ended up loving the park. We generally only post about places we visit for a longer amount of time. Both of these trails can be hiked as a short one or two mile hike with great views. Please be aware of this when planning how far to hike. The Saguaro National Park East District acreage is 66,947 and Saguaro National Park West District is 24,498 acres. Tanque Verde Falls. (Saguaro National Park Text ). We recommend at least one full day. Saguaro National Park surprised us around every turn. Saguaro National Park lies split with two distinct disctricts with the City of Tucson, Arizona in the middle. Here, the park's 150-mile network of trails crosses everything from desert scrub to pine forest to snow-capped mountains. At 0.9 miles hikers pass the Sendero Esperanza Trail junction near the Mam-A-Gah picnic area, named for a Tohono O'odham Indian Chief. Overview Arizona's Saguaro National Park is known for two things: its vast forest of 100-year old saguaro cacti, and its incredible diversity of terrain. An easy family hike (.8-mile round trip) within Saguaro National Park West that reaches a ridge that provides great views within a 35-mile radius. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Others, like Garwood Trail, had unique sights like a cristate version, and a cluster of 11 saguaros. Closeup of a rare cristate saguaro; Kristin’s Top 3 in Saguaro National Park While the park is hot and relatively unmanageable during the summers, it is a great place to take advantage of the many hikes in Saguaro National Park in winter and other times of the year. To explore all the U.S. National Parks at our own pace and off the beaten path. Remember you will find no water on any trails in Saguaro West and water in Saguaro East is spotty and usually only at Manning Camp (check at the visitor center for backcountry permits and water conditions at Manning Camp) which is a 16 mile hike one way and an elevation gain of over 4,000 feet. Hiking in Saguaro National Park west . Covering over 24,818 acres, the Tucson Mountain District sits on the park’s west boundaries. Pink Hill Trail Most trails in the Rincon Mountain district of Saguaro National Park are in the northwest corner - a few along the one road through the park, the Cactus Forest Drive, one in Rincon Valley to the south, and a complex network of inter-connecting routes on the north side of Tanque Verde Ridge. Scenic Dr. & Belmont Trail Area, Tucson Mountain District (west) For the classic map of the east side of the park, view the link below. We did the best we could, but still ended up hiking during the hottest time of day. This is an easy park to visit, with scenic drives and short walks among the towering cacti. Saguaro National Park East is nearly three times as big as the West district. The trail itself is an out and back 0.8 mile trail with very little elevation gain. . The falls is another .3 miles off the Douglas Springs trail. The Signal Hill Trail is a short hiking trail in Saguaro National Park. I give you my two favorite trails one in Saguaro East on the left and one in Saguaro West on the right. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. A crested saguaro (at mile 2.5) is a unique view, as well as "the Dome" (a large exposed surface at mile 3) offers even more breath-taking views. Saguaro National Park has many interesting trails to hike in both the Eastern and Western districts. It had been a long time since either of us had hiked in the desert, and we didn’t know what to expect. Rincon Mountain District (east) Map. (Saguaro National Park Text). Due to grazing and some cold snaps, a lot of young saguaros died. 3.4 miles – Out and back Close to town. The Picture rocks Wash trail is the Major east-west trail on the northeast side of the park and can be used in part as a connector trail to the major north-south trails it crosses. Wasson Peak is the tallest mountain in the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park.This loop hike travels along ridges with grand desert vistas and through some of the thickest Saguaro forest in Arizona. Bridal Wreath Falls Trail (4.4 Rating) Length: 5.6 miles. Cactus Forest Drive (east) The east district has an 8-mile paved loop that gives you a chance to … Hiking trip report, map, and photos for Safford Peak (Sombrero Peak), located in Saguaro National Park, Arizona. Like any desert hiking, start as early as possible. After the park acquired the grazing rights, young saguaro are growing again, but they’ll take years to get to where they used to be. Desert Discovery Trail There are no backcountry campsites in the Tucson Mountain district … Short Trails in Saguaro East Some tips for visiting Saguaro National Park: *The park is split into two districts, one directly to the east of Tucson, the Rincon Mountain District, and one directly to the west, the Tucson Mountain District. Saguaro National Park has many interesting trails to hike in both the Eastern and Western districts. Generally speaking, the Tucson Mountain District is more developed, and the Rincon Mountain section is more untouched wilderness. This hike is less than 1 mile. There are few options for hiking to the summit. Parking: Free | Trailhead … Wasson Peak is the highest point in Saguaro National Park’s West District. Here are our favorite spots in the park, along with some tips for visiting. Saguaro National Park - Contact Park Headquarters and Rincon Mountain District Saguaro National Park 3693 South Old Spanish Trail Tucson, AZ 85730-5601 - or - Saguaro National Park-Tucson Mountain District 2700 North Kinney Road Tucson, AZ 85743 Visitor Information - Rincon Mountain District: (520) 733-5153 Get a high-clearance vehicle, especially if going to the Miller Creek or Turkey Creek trailheads. Department of the Interior National Park Service Saguaro National Park Trails in the Tucson Mountain District Red Hills Visitor Center (520) 733-5158 Cactus Garden Trail (100 yards) A half day is all you need to see the highlights, but with more time you can tour the entire park, go on a day hike, or camp in the backcountry. Easy to follow trail. Terrain/grade varies. Trail was more crowded on our hike back late morning to mid day. Saguaro National Park is named for the Saguaro cactus, which grows only in the Sonoran Desert. Stay alert. Probably the most colorful lizard we saw in the park! (263kb pdf file), Long Trails in Saguaro East Hikes & Trails at the Park With about 200 miles of trails -- traversing flat desert landscapes as well as challenging mountainous terrain -- visitors of every ability have … This trail continues to Juniper Basin Campground (6.9 mile mark, 3000 feet elevation) as well as Tanque Verde Peak (8.7 miles, 4000 feet elevation). Trails in the Saguaro National Park West SaguaroU.S. The Tanque Verde Ridge Trail is narrow, rocky, and steep, with spectacular views of the Tucson Basin. Bring more water and snacks than you think you’ll need. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Hiking Signal Hill Trail – Saguaro National Park West. We hope they help you plan your trip! That … Start early if you want to park near the trail head. Distance: 0.8 mile round trip Time: 30-45 minutes Difficulty: easy Elevation: 50 feet Trailhead: Along the Bajada Loop Drive Best time to visit: anytime – but there’s no shade so make sure to consider this when visiting in the summer heat!Mornings/evenings would be a much better time to hike in the warmer months Both of these trails can be hiked as a short one or two mile hike with great views. Saguaro trail maps. Especially when we saw it blooming! It’s a perfect choice for someone looking for an easy to moderate hike with pretty minimal elevation gain and close encounters with large saguaro cactusesalong with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and desert terrain. But we also checked out a few smaller sites, events, and hikes in the park that are worth mentioning. The Saguaro is only found in a small portion of the United States in the Sonoran Desert and it is something special to stand next to one. 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