Sunshine, check. Cactus, check. Desert, check. Mountains, check. City, check. Er wait, City? Yes, Saguaro National Park is both in Tucson but in fact the two sections of the park are divided by the whole of the city. I know this may sound like a detractor, but in both the Rincon Mountain and Tucson Mountain districts you will find that it is quiet, isolated, and feels wild enough to qualify as a National Park.
Once you are done with your hike you can grab a great lunch or dinner or choose to return to your luxury resort and soak in the pool. Or, you can camp, boondock, rent a home, or sleep in a cheap motel. Obviously, one of the best parts of Saguaro is that it is so approachable and easy to visit.
Despite how close it is to the city it feels like a national park – especially in contrast to sites like Cuyahoga, Indiana Dunes, or Gateway Arch that feel significantly less wild. Saguaro gets a lot of local visitors who use the park, especially the Eastern Rincon Mountain District for their bike rides and walks.
On our recent Spring Break trip we planned two days in Saguaro on our 10 day trip to Southern Arizona and Western New Mexico. In our time we also visited the Gila Cliff Dwellings, Fort Bowie, Chiricahua (a must see!), Coronado, Tumacacori, Organ Pipe Cactus, Casa Grande Ruins, and Tonto National Monuments. We also did a Nelson family favorite by spending our last few nights at a nice hotel and relaxing in the pool as a counterbalance to the busyness and sometimes hectic feeling of our other days.
Day 1 – Saguaro National Park East Side
Mica View to Cactus Forest Trail
Our first day in the park was to the busy east side where we completed our Junior Ranger books, drove the fully paved Cactus Forest Drive, and “hiked” the Mica View to Cactus Forest trail . I say “hiked” because the trail is very flat with just 68 feet of elevation change in its’ 1.9 miles. There is no shade so on a hot day you should make sure to have water and there is a restroom at the parking area at the Mica View picnic area. This area does get busy with limited parking but was a great spot to get out and experience the park.
Cactus Forest Drive
After our hike we enjoyed driving more of the Cactus Forest Drive and stopped at a number of the pull-offs along the way before stopping for a picnic at the Javelina picnic area. It was nice to see this part of the park in the morning before the heat of the day. While we could have done additional hikes out into the less developed parts of the park we chose to instead head out of the park and to experience the Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway. This 27 mile scenic drive brought us from the desert into a mountain setting that reminded us more of Colorado or the Sierra Nevadas.
Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway
At the top of Mt. Lemmon we considered riding up the chairlift but decided to head back into town and enjoy a nice meal at our rental home. The kids, who told us repeatedly that they were wiped out, spent hours after dinner bouncing on the trampoline until dark which proves once and for all that “I’m tired” doesn’t mean that they don’t have energy and instead just need to focus elsewhere.
Day 2 – Saguaro National Park West Side
Desert Discovery Nature Trail (0.4 miles)
The next morning we headed west into the Tucson Mountain District where we stopped at the Red Hills Visitor Center to stop into the park store and enjoy the view. From there we walked along the Desert Discovery Nature Trail (0.4 miles), drove the dirt Scenic Bajada Loop Drive and made a few stops along it.
Valley View Overlook trail (0.8 miles)
Our first stop was at the Valley View Overlook trail (0.8 miles), which is a great stop to stretch your legs and look out over the abundant Saguaro cactus and the broader valley to the west where you can see the Kitt Peak Observatory in the distance. Our next stop was for a picnic lunch at the Ez-Kim-In-Zin where the picnic huts are amongst the most fun and memorable picnic sites we have found.
Signal Hill
Our final stop in Saguaro was at Signal Hill where we hiked the short 0.3 mile trail and saw the abundant petroglyphs on the hill (which is where it gets its’ name). Leaving the park, I highly recommend driving W Picture Rocks Road so long as your vehicle meets the requirements. It is a busy road but the scenery is fantastic. Gates Pass Road is also beautiful and while it may take you a bit longer than what Google will tell you to do the scenery is worth it!
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Near the park is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum which is a combination of zoo and museum. We visited one morning while in Tucson and frankly it felt overpriced, poorly laid out, busy, and there were few animals that were exciting to see. We love a good zoo and have visited many across the country but would pass on this one.
Instead, we would suggest visiting San Xavier del Bac Mission and Tumacacori National Historical Park for some neat history or a day trip to Chiricahua National Monument for some amazing scenery! Check out our posts for Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest for more national parks to visit nearby.
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