Discovering Tucson: Saguaro National Park

Though we only had a weekend to spare, it was just enough time to make our first trip to Tucson and see what we could see. If you're looking to see the best of Tucson with a limited amount of time (and a limited budget), we highly recommend our itinerary. We've separated our stops into separate posts, all under "Discovering Tucson."

Our first stop was Saguaro National Park.

It's important to note that there are really two parks in one - an east side and a west side, separated by the city of Tucson in between. We opted to visit the west side (officially called the Tucson Mountain District) because of its higher density of the great Saguaro Cacti, and its proximity to the Sonora Desert Museum (our next stop).

Crested or cristate cactus

N aturally formed cross-section of a dead cactus - Saguaro are preserved at all stages of life in the park.

The friendly volunteers and Park Ranger directed us to a scenic drive and short hike to get the most out of our short visit, including where to spot the rare crested/cristate saguaro cactus! Scientists still aren't sure how or why this mutation occurs, and it is a very rare find.

Valley View Overlook Trail

We'd love to go back and spend more time, as well as visit the eastern half, the Rincon Mountain District, which has longer scenic hikes and cycling routes.