Saguaro National Park

Established in 1994, Saguaro National Park, in Southern Arizona is truly a sight to behold.

The park is named for the Saguaro Cacti, the massive human-like plants that dot the Sonoran landscape. They are so human-like that native people believed they were people who were transformed into these cacti. Thus, killing them is prohibited.

About

The park is divided into two sections, East and West, which each having it’s own characteristics. West is more visited, has more cacti, and most of the attractions of the park. The east is more wild, with most of the area wilderness/backcountry.

While the cacti are all over the northern Sonoran desert and Tucson in general, with the concentration and ability to get up-close, is what makes the park truly special.

Established	October 14, 1994
Area	91,716 acres
Approx. Annual Visitors	958,000
Closest City	Tucson, AZ
Best Seasons to Visit	Mid-Fall to Early Spring

Things to Do

There’s quite a bit to do in and around the Park. Below are some of the highlights of things. But we have a bigger article on the best things to do which you should check out as well.

Hiking: Like most National Parks, hiking is a big part of visiting Saguaro National Park. Some of the best include Desert Discovery Nature Trail, Signal Hill, Valley View Overlook, and Kings Canyon Wash.
Museums: There’s several exhibits both in and outside of the park to explore. Especially, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has lots on the local flora and fauna of the region.
Drives: The Bajada Loop Drive (West Unit) and Cactus Forest Loop (East Unit) are the best drives with lots of overlooks.

Visiting

Best Time of Year to Visit

While the park is open year round, the best times to visit are from the mid to late-Fall to Early Spring. In Particular the Months of November to March are the best in terms of weather to visit. You’ll get cooler mornings and evenings with warm to hot mid-days but not searing hot like the Summer.

Since Saguaro NP is Day Use Only, you’ll have to leave (unless you have an overnight backcountry permit). This means that you’ll be time-limited in terms of hours. But really, its still enough time to see the park, and you won’t want to be there when the weather is super-hot anyway. It’s pretty miserable.

Avoid the summer if you can. If you cannot, be sure to start early in the morning to see as much as you can before it gets too hot.

How Many Days Do you Need

For most visitors, the park is easily visited in two days. If you have the time, splitting your days between the parks is the best way to experience each of the different units.

Given that the weather in Tucson is generally very hot, two days allows you to avoid visiting the parks during the hottest times of the days.

If you are pressed for time, you can definitely visit the park in one long day. For this we recommend starting early, doing the West Unit during the morning, taking off or doing something indoors mid-day, and then the East Unit in the late afternoon. The Must-See Places are mostly in the West Unit so we recommend doing that first in case you run out of time.

For those who have additional time, there’s lots of backcountry and additional activities in the park. Much of the East Unit is not accessible by road, so if you want to explore here, you’ll need several days. You will also likely have much of the park to yourself too!

Where to Stay

We recommend the following hotels and camping options for Saguaro National Park. For hotels, the best options are available within Tucson. Even if you are here for the day we recommend staying a night so you can get to the park early in the day.

Hotels

BUDGET: Red Roof Downtown; Centrally Located, Close to West Unit; Clean and one of the cheaper options we recommend.
MODERATE: Holiday Inn Express: Clean and Comfortable Rooms; Complimentary Breakfast. Near West Unit.
HIGH END: JW Marriott: Stunning resort and Spa in Tucson, and one of the best options in the city. My option when money isn’t a concern (usually work related). Close to West Unit.

Camping

There are no drive-up campsites available within either unit of Saguaro National Park.

For camping within the park, visitors are required to get a backcountry permit. Permits can be requested on Recreation.gov.

Basic Information

Visitor Centers

Each unit of the park has one visitor Center. Below are the visitor centers for each unit of the park.

WEST UNIT: Red Hills Visitor Center: One of the first places you’ll pass when you enter the west unit. the Visitor Center offers information, maps, a few exhibits on the park and a really great movie. There’s also a park store, passport stamp, and bathrooms.
EAST UNIT: Rincon Mountain District Visitor Center: You’ll come across Rincon Mountain Visitor Center if you enter the east unit through the main entrance. The visitor center has books, information, passport stamp, bathrooms, movie, and small store. You don’t need to visit both visitor centers unless you want to. The west is the main visitor center for the park.

Fees

Private Vehicle: $25.00
Motorcycle: $20.00
Individual (non-motorized entry): $15
Saguaro Annual Pass: $45.00

Free for those with the Annual America the Beautiful, Access Pass, or other Interagency Passes.

Hours & Times

The park is primarily a day-use park.

The West District is open to vehicles sunrise to sunset daily.
The East District is open 5am – 8pm (summer) and 5am – 6pm (winter)

The park is open to bicycle and foot traffic 24 hours a day.

National Park Stamp

There are National Park Passport Stamps available at the Visitor Centers in Each District.

East: Rincon Mountain District Visitor Center

West: Red Hills Visitor Center

Getting to the Park

By Car

The park is located on either side of the city of Tucson.

The main entrance to the park is located off N. Kinney Road. Visitors to the park will drive through the Tucson Mountain Park en route to the main entrance. This is pretty scenic although also with some tricky areas for driving as well.

The East Unit is located on the eastern end of Tucson with the main entrance to the Unit off Old Spanish Trail Road.

Travel between the park takes generally about 1 hour; traffic dependent.

By Air

The closest airport to Saguaro National Park is Tucson International Airport (TUS) with regular service by major airlines such as Southwest, American, United, Delta, Alaskan, Flair, and Sun Country.

The airport is located in South Tucson and surprisingly fairly equidistant from each of the units.

The next nearest major Airport, Phoenix (PHX) is about 2 hours from Saguaro National Park. It’s worth checking here for flights as well as costs can often be cheaper (and more direct flight options).

Tips & FAQs

Avoid Mid-Day: Desert Heat is No Joke. It’s best to do your exploring Early or Late in the Day.
Be careful in Rocky Areas: There’s a healthy population of rattlesnakes in the Park. Try to avoid where they hang out.
Proper Footwear is important. Many of the trails are rocky, you’ll want good trail shoes or boots.
Bring Water, Sunscreen, and Protective Clothing. It’s hot there!