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The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea Gigantea ) is the state symbol of Arizona, appearing on all car license plates, and provides a universally recognized image of the Southwest. It is the largest and one of the slowest growing of all cacti, reaching up to 15 meters high and living for several centuries. Plants can weigh up to 8 tons, partly because of the large amount of water the stems can hold - after rainfall the cactus can absorb hundreds of gallons in a short time. The saguaro may be only 6 inches high after 10 years, and the characteristic branched appearance is reached only after around 80 years.
The cactus is widespread across southern Arizona, extreme southeast California and Sonora, north Mexico. Distribution is related to latitude and altitude - it is most commonly found between 1,000 & 3,000 feet, and because the saguaro can tolerate temperatures as low as -4 °C, it survives further north than any of the other species of large cactus. In the spring, the saguaro produce white flowers on the upper stems of mature plants so this is an especially good time to visit. Later, sweet edible red fruit appear, traditionally used by the local Indian tribes as food and also to make wine.
There are many densely forested regions in the Southwest but two areas of the Sonoran Desert either side of Tucson have been selected and preserved as the Saguaro National Park - the Rincon Mountain (east) and Tucson Mountain (west) districts. The park was upgraded in status from a National Monument in 1994, and besides the ever present saguaro, also preserves a large variety of other cacti and desert plants, plus much interesting wildlife. The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument also has many saguaros, together with other more unusual columnar cacti, and is more remote and less visited.
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West Section of Saguaro National Park (Tucson Mountain) - easily accessible area with many visitor facilities and viewpoints
- Hiking - hike and trail descriptions
- Hugh Norris Trail - longest and best hike in the park, to the top of Wasson Peak
- Photographs - 18 views of the western section
- QTVR Panorama - the summit of Wasson Peak; small | large
- QTVR Panorama - the Valley View Overlook Trail; small | large
- QTVR Panorama - hills around Picture Rocks Road; small | large
East Section of Saguaro National Park (Rincon Mountain) - large region with extensive mountain wilderness and backcountry trails
- Hiking - hike and trail descriptions
Cactus Photographs - 12 close-up views of saguaro and other Sonoran Desert plants
 PDF format maps of Saguaro National Park, from the NPS:
Saguaro - east (68 kb)
Saguaro - west (60 kb)
Saguaro - location (36 kb)
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Saguaro National Park Accommodation: There are no campsites within Saguaro National Park but a selection of hotels in nearby Tucson and Marana. One of the closest to the west section (14 miles from the visitor center) is
Holiday Inn Express Tucson. This is located just northwest of downtown Tucson, and 0.4 miles west of exit 256 of I-10, at 1560 W Grants Road - part of a complex at the corner of Grants and N Dragoon St. The front of the hotel overlooks the (usually dry) Santa Cruz River. The hotel is also close to other nearby attractions including Old Tucson Studios, Silverbell Golf Course and the Tucson Convention Center
Check rates at the Holiday Inn Express Tucson
Other nearby hotels: Marana, Tucson
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| Places near to Saguaro National Park include Chiricahua National Monument (121 miles southeast of Tucson), which has mountains and canyons with unusual rock formations,
Copper Creek (63 miles north of Tucson), a remote 'ghost town' set amidst rugged cactus scenery, and the historic mountains in Coronado National Memorial (81 miles south of Tucson). |
Park map, and a selection of Saguaro National Park books, from amazon.com:
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