If you are like me and are fascinated by ancient rock art and petroglyphs, you will consider Signal Hill in Saguaro National Park West District, a must visit destination. Signal Hill only requires a very short hike of about .3 miles to enjoy the beautiful rock art (not to mention some great views) so it’s definitely worth checking out. Here’s everything you need to know about Signal Hill in Tucson, AZ.
Signal Hill history
The rock art here is from the Hohokam people, which is the name given to the prehistoric people that lived in central and southern Arizona from about 200 A.D. until 1450. They pecked these designs into the rocks perhaps more than 1,000 years ago while on hunting and gathering expeditions.
These were desert farmers who harvested plants like corn, beans, squash, and cotton. In the Phoenix area they created vast networks of irrigation canals, some of which were more than 10 miles long! But in the Tucson basin they practiced dry farming and often built extensive terraced gardens or simply planted their crops along waterways.
They relied on local vegetation to survive like prickly pear, saguaros, agave, and Palo Verde. They also hunted animals like rabbit, dear, and bighorn sheep and utilized hunting tools like bows and arrows.
One thing that is interesting is that the petroglyphs in this area are mostly abstract designs as opposed to lifeforms. The spiral and circular designs are very common and were often a part of elaborate net designs.
What exactly the rock art means on Signal Hill is still a bit of a mystery and open to interpretation, so have fun trying to figure out and decode these many petroglyphs.
Signal Hill Trail Overview
The Signal Hill Trail is an easy out and back hike approximately .3 miles and with an elevation gain of 26 feet. The highlight of the trail is the up close encounter with historic rock art and some sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, making this a perfect sunset destination.
- Distance: .3 miles
- Elevation Gain: 26 feet
- Route Type: Out and back
- Pets: No
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time needed: 30 minutes
Getting to the trail head
Getting to the trail head and picnic area is very easy and it can be accessed in two different ways.
With the first method, you will need to enter the park and head north on Golden Gate Rd until you see the turn for Signal Hill Road on your left.
The other way you could get there is to loop around and take the scenic route by hopping on Hohokam Road to Golden Gate Road. That is the direction we took since we had just finished up the Wild Dog Trail.
It’s worth noting that both of these roads are graded dirt roads.
As for hours for the trailhead, I read online that the area closes at 6 PM but when I called and spoke with a park ranger they told me that it remains open until shortly after sunset.
Trail conditions
The trail is extremely well marked and easy to follow. There are a couple of different paths that emerge from the picnic area so be aware that you will see a couple of different paths but the main path is pretty easy to follow and since it is such a short hike and the hill is right in front of you it would be extremely difficult to get lost.
Route description
The main trailhead is directly adjacent to the parking lot and you will begin by heading down some steps.
Along the way you will encounter a lot of common vegetation to Saguaro National Park such as saguaros, ocotillo, prickly pear, cholla, palo verde, and others. In early May some of the wild flowers were dying but the saguaros were just beginning to bloom.
Like I mentioned above, you can see Signal Hill from pretty much every point during the hike so you don’t need to worry about getting lost on the hike.
You will notice some additional covered picnic areas as you make your way toward the hill.
Just a couple of minutes into the hike, you will begin to ascend the steps to the viewing area on Signal Hill.
Some of the steps are a little big but it is a very manageable and short hike so if you had to do this during the heat of the day it would not be too bad. Still, I would save this hike for sunset.
Once you begin the steps up the hill, keep in mind that this is an area where rattlesnakes like to hang out because of all of the shaded crevices in the rocks. There will be signs posted to remind you of this fact.
Once you get near the summit, you will see other trails branching off. These are shorter trails that you can take if you are in the mood to explore the area a little bit more. (I haven’t done those yet but in the future I’m sure I will get around to reviewing them and update this article.)
If you just proceed on the main trail, you will then make your way to the top view point which has railing all around it.
On the summit, you will be able to get up close and personal to many of the different rock art designs. Just be sure to respect the railing barrier and do not climb up on the rocks.
You’ll see all sorts of different designs up there including some wild animals like pronghorn antelope and quite a few abstract designs several of which are geometric and circular.
It’s pretty cool to imagine Hohokam people standing right where you are etching these designs out well before explorers were even thinking about sailing from Europe to North America.
My favorite had to be the trippy spiral design.
There are also a few interpretive panels up there that offer some insight into the history of the creators of this art.
And finally, the views are pretty great up on the hill. You can set up for a sunset looking west and also appreciate the golden hour sunlight on the mountains and cactus forest looking back east.
Final word
I would have to say that Signal Hill is a must visit when coming to Saguaro National Park. It offers easy access to both intriguing rock art and sweeping sunset views and for that alone it should make it higher on your list.