Saguaro National Park

Saguaro is a popular stop for anyone visiting Tucson and southern AZ. We visited in mid-March and the temperatures were up to 86 during the day and 48 in the night.

We can easily see why cartoons have personified the Saguaro Cactus. Each one seems to be a person doing something different. We had fun attributing personalities to the cacti as we wandered through the park.

We had our dog with us so we didn’t do much hiking in Saguaro. There is, however an opportunity to walk with your fur baby on 2 of the trails and they are welcome in the picnic areas. We recommend booties and keeping your pup on a short leash.

The Desert Discovery Nature Trail is an easy .4 mile walk on a paved surface. We enjoyed reading the educational plaques. The cacti can grow up to 60 feet tall and weigh over 4000 pounds when fully hydrated! There is also a 20 degree difference in temperature inside the cacti which makes it a popular nesting spot for birds, bats and insects.

Be sure to drive the Valley View loop. There are a few wonderful picnic spots with amazing views of the mountains and valleys below.

With 165 miles of hiking trails available, you can easily spend days wandering this beautiful landscape.

Situated close by are the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the International Wildlife Museum and Old Tucson (closed as of March 2022).

We took the Gates Pass Rd back to Tucson. This scenic road was one of our favorite parts of visiting Saguaro. Driving through the mountain pass affords beautiful views of the surrounding areas. There are a few places to pull off the road and get some pictures or even eat a picnic lunch.