Saguaro National Park, 3693 S Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730
I didn’t see much of Saguaro National Park (we drove to the visitor center) but I was impressed by the sheer number of saguaro and the mountain views. When you visit Phoenix and Tucson, you’ll see plenty of saguaro even before you reach the national park. Lots of them grow along the road to both cities. When you visit Saguaro National Park, you can stop the car, walk around, and see the cacti up close (and at a distance with the desert and mountains).
Saguaro are the nation’s largest cacti. They’re very slow growing and protected by Native Plant Protection Act (you can’t cut one down). It takes about 70 years before they grow an arm. They’re typically in bloom from April – June. We visited in March and they weren’t in bloom.
Saguaro National Park has two districts: East and West. We visited the West District, which has a younger saguaro forest but a greater density of saguaro. The East District is at a higher elevation with an older saguaro forest.
The visitor center has restrooms, water fountains, maps, a gift shop, informational displays about local flora and fauna, etc.
You can visit by car, bike, or horse. There are over 150 miles of trails.
