Top Desert Parks: Saguaro National Park, Arizona

The saguaro cactus is widespread across most of the Sonoran Desert of south and west Arizona, and two densely forested regions have been protected since 1933 as Saguaro National Park (originally a national monument), located a few miles east and west of Tucson. Both sections have easy access, a visitor center, picnic areas and many trails; the main differences are that the west district (Tucson Mountains) is smaller, slightly more developed, and has generally more saguaro, while the east district (Rincon Mountains) has more varied trails and is much larger, extending high into the adjacent hills, where the vegetation is markedly different to the desert lowlands.

Saguaro National Park: details, map (west, east)