Saguaro National Park is a unique national park because there are two separate districts: the east and west. There’s twice the adventure offered between these two districts and you might be surprised at some of the variety of activities that you can choose from when visiting. Below is a breakdown of different things to do at both of these districts at Saguaro National Park.
Saguaro National Park Overview
Saguaro National Park is divided into two separate districts: the East District which is also known as the “Rincon Mountain District” (or RMD) and the West District which is also known as the “Tucson Mountain District” (or TMD).
The districts are located about one hour apart from each other and the city of Tucson sits between them. Because of that short distance it’s possible to visit both in one day, though spending a day at each one will be better if you plan on doing lots of hiking.
It will cost you $25 to gain entry into the park and your pass will be good for both districts for one week.
Below, I’ll cover different things you can do at either district and will indicate which districts apply in brackets.
1. Saguaro cactus spotting [East & West]
Saguaro National Park is named after the saguaro cactus which is one of the most iconic images of the western US.
This is a fascinating and beautiful cactus that often can live to be close to 200 years old and grow up to 30 to 45 feet (the tallest saguaro cactus ever known towered over 78 feet). These cacti come in all different shapes and sizes — each with its own distinctive personality.
You’ll be captivated by all of the different saguaros you encounter your first time at the park and you can find these pretty much everywhere you go. Take time to scout out the different types of cactus on different trails and overlooks; you’ll be surprised by the extreme variety that they come in.
Also, keep your eyes open for dead saguaros. When saguaros die they leave behind a skeleton of woody ribs that are very hard and can be used for various purposes, such as making tools. But for the shape, you would probably never guess that you were looking at cactus remains when you stumble upon them.
2. Take a scenic ride on Cactus Forest Drive [East]
Cactus Forest Drive is the main loop road found in the East District of the national park.
It’s an 8 mile, one-way loop drive that meanders through beautiful foothills and offers many different overlook points that you can stop at to admire the desert scenery and find out more about the park.
These overlooks include the:
- Future generations overlook
- Sonoran desert overlook
- Cactus view overlook
- Riparian overlook
- Rincon mountains overlook
- Javelina rocks overlook
- Desert living overlook
Give yourself a good hour so that you don’t have to rush and can stop at the many overlooks. But also keep in mind that you’ll find quite a few trailheads along the loop drive so it’s a good idea to plan out even more time for doing hikes.
3. Search for crested saguaros [East & West]
Crested saguaros are like the hidden Easter eggs of Saguaro National Park.
These are basically mutated saguaro cactuses that decided to just do their own thing, and they look like gnarly blown up versions of a cross-section of broccoli.
These types of saguaros are not common so it’s always a special sight when you see one.
In fact, scientists estimate that only one out of every 200,000 saguaro cactus is crested. It’s not clear exactly why these go crested but there may be a link with frost.
You can find these on a few trails like the Loma Verde Trail and also along the Deer Valley Loop Trail. There are no easily accessible crested cacti in the Tucson Mountain District, but there is one located at the entrance to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
4. Enjoy the wildflowers during the spring [East & West]
During the spring, almost every trail in the national park will be lined with beautiful wildflowers. You’ll see brittlebush, California poppies, larkspur, paperflower, blow wives, desert Christmas cactus, New Mexico thistle, indian paintbrush, mariposa lilies, and more.
Prickly pear and many types of cholla will be bursting with color through the months of April and May. And be on the lookout for the beautiful bright pink strawberry hedgehog cactuses.
These blooms truly make the spring time special at this park and when combined with very mild (perfect) weather, I think there’s a strong argument that spring is the best time of year to visit and hike Saguaro National Park.
5. Take a scenic drive at the Bajada Loop Drive [West]
The West District of Saguaro National Park also has a scenic loop drive known as the Bajada Loop Drive.
It’s not the same as the East as you won’t see a bunch of overlooks with interpretive panels and it’s also not paved so this drive feels much more rugged and primitive compared to the East District. Although we used our Jeep Grand Cherokee 4×4, you could get by with a regular sedan (just avoid times after a lot of rain).
The loop, which consists of Golden Gate Road and Hohokam Road is about six miles, and will take you through some thick saguaro forest areas so it’s great for getting up close and personal with these cacti. It’s best to start on Hohokam Road from Kinney Road so that you can do the full loop considering this is a partially one-way drive.
You can find some short trails to enjoy off the scenic loop here like the Valley View Overlook Trail and the Wild Dog Trail.
6. Get introduced to the area on an easy trail [East & West]
If you’ve never been to Saguaro National Park, consider stopping at the Desert Ecology Trail in the East District to get a quick introduction into what this park is all about.
It’s a very short and paved trail which also happens to be the only real trail open to dogs. You’ll find interpretive panels along the path that will help you understand more about the local plants and wildlife. For someone looking for the absolute easiest form of movement that qualifies as a hike, this is the trail for you.
If you were in the West District then consider the Desert Discovery Nature Trail.
7. Hike to one of the waterfalls [East]
Believe it or not, this national park covered in saguaro cactuses actually has some cool waterfalls to check out.
If you’re hiking shortly after significant rainfall or during certain times of the year such as early spring, some of the trails offer running water and waterfalls to check out.
In the middle of the Cactus Forest Trail, there is a short spur that leads to Lime Falls.
But if you have a little bit more time and energy you can check out Bridal Wreath Falls or Ernie’s Falls off of the Douglas Springs Trail.
8. Take a picnic [East & West]
Saguaro National Park has quite a few different picnic areas in both the East and West District. Many of these have covered picnic tables so you can take advantage of some shade even on those warmer days. Consider taking over a picnic area and enjoying a nice little feast after a great hike.
9. Go mountain biking [East & West]
You’re allowed to take your bike on a variety of roads and trails throughout the park.
Consider mountain biking through Cactus Forest Drive along the paved road or venturing on to a trail like the Cactus Forest Trail. Just pay attention to the signs that prohibit bikes on certain trails and remember that hikers have the right-of-way.
10. Catch the sunrise at Javelina rocks [East]
Javelina rocks is my favorite stop along the Cactus Forest Drive.
You’ve got some beautiful boulders that have some Pride Rock vibes happening and are perfect for scrambling on top of to check out the views. You can set up for a sunset here and have an awesome view as it dips below the Tucson Mountains to the west.
11. Get your kid certified as a junior ranger [East & West]
At Saguaro National Park, your kid can walk away sworn in as a junior ranger complete with a badge and certificate. By taking a couple of hours to complete an activity booklet and checking out some cool things to do, you can join in on the junior ranger fun.
12. Hike to the top of Wasson Peak [West]
Saguaro National Park is located in multiple mountain ranges.
The East District has the Rincon Mountains which have several awesome peaks like Rincon Peak and Mica Mountain. The issue is that these are very strenuous hikes that require a lot of time, since their elevation is much higher.
But if you head over to the West District, you can conquer Wasson Peak which is the highest peak in the West District and in the Tucson Mountains. It’s a nice workout but it’s very doable and a super rewarding hike with great views from the summit.
Just be sure that if you are attempting any strenuous hike at Saguaro National Park, or even a moderately strenuous hike, that you start very early during the summer to avoid getting exhausted by the heat. Personally, I like to start off long strenuous hikes either at sunrise or a little before sunrise.
13. Visit the petroglyphs at Signal Hill [West]
There’s some fascinating history at Saguaro National Park with people who have inhabited the region hundreds of years ago. Head over to the very short hike to Signal Hill and check out the petroglyphs there that could be hundreds or even thousands of years old.
You’ll find all sorts of different geometric patterns and portrayals of animals etched into the rocks. It’s also got a great views for a sunset.
14. Go trail running [East & West]
Sometimes I’m at the utter point of exhaustion making my way through a hike only to find a trail runner breeze effortlessly past me. It’s slightly demoralizing but honestly trail running looks like a lot of fun.
There’s quite a few trails in both the East and West District that are great for trail running. If you’re looking for something on the easier side that’s going to be pretty flat consider something like the Mica View Trail.
15. Participate in a monthly park program [East & West]
Each month, you can find special activities going down in the park.
These activities could range from everything from a ranger patio talk to a geology tour. Other things to look forward to our guided sunset hikes and fascinating talks about the local wildlife and vegetation.
You can check the calendar for future activities here.
16. Enjoy the views from Tanque Verde Ridge [East]
Tanque Verde Ridge is one of my favorite moderate hikes because you can quickly head up to the mountain ridge and enjoy some fantastic views of the surrounding area. If you’re looking for a little bit of a work out with a nice reward, then this is a good choice. Trekking poles are a big help on this trail.
17. Take an ultra-strenuous hike up into the Rincon Mountains [East]
If you’d like to head up to the top of Saguaro National Park, where the vegetation changes from desert cacti to green pine and juniper forests then consider heading up to one of the high peaks in the Rincon Mountains.
Both Rincon Peak (8,482 feet) and Mica Mountain (8,664 feet) will test your endurance with very long and strenuous hikes. For these hikes, you’re looking at around 20 miles or even longer with elevation gains as much as 6,000 feet. Definitely not a thing for the inexperienced.
Many people choose to break these hikes up into two days and camp out somewhere in the backcountry to make the hike more bearable.
18. Find a great horned owl at the Freeman Homestead Trail [East]
The Freeman Homestead Trail is an easy hike that you will find on the south end of the Cactus Forest Drive loop. It’s a short loop trail that is also a great interpretive trail to take through the park.
One of the highlights is a cliff area known to have great horned owls hanging out and we saw one on our first attempt on this trail.
19. Hit the backcountry and go camping [East]
Saguaro National Park has a number of different campsites but this park is a little unique and that you will have to hike out to those campsites.
You’ll need to secure a backcountry permit and the fee for this permit is $8.00 per campsite, per night.
| Camp Site | Number of Sites | Campground Elevation | Distance from Nearest Trailhead |
| Manning Camp | 6 | 7,920 feet | 7.5 mi (Turkey Creek) |
| Spud Rock Spring | 3 | 7,400 feet | 5.3 mi (Turkey Creek) |
| Happy Valley Saddle | 3 | 6,200 feet | 4.1 mi (Miller Creek) |
| Juniper Basin | 3 | 6,000 feet | 6.9 mi (Tanque Verde Ridge) |
| Grass Shack | 3 | 5,200 feet | 10 mi (Loma Alta/ Hope Camp) |
| Douglas Spring | 3 | 4,800 feet | 6.3 mi (Douglas Spring) |
Chart via NPS
20. Eat at Saguaro Corners [East]
Okay, so technically this is not inside of the national park but Saguaro Corners is just outside of the East District.
I’m absolutely obsessed with this restaurant because it is such a cool place to hang out and it’s just good quality food as well. Consider the saguaro burger or go with the jalapeño cornbread salad and you can’t go wrong. They’ve also got a nice selection of brews perfect for your post-hike delight.
21. Spot Gila woodpeckers [East & West]
Gila woodpecker’s like to inhabit the tall saguaro cactuses. They reside inside them just like millionaires reside in penthouse suites. Sometimes you can hear these woodpeckers pecking away on these cactuses almost resembling the sound of nearby a construction site.
22. Find a blooming saguaro [East & West]
The state flower of Arizona is the beautiful white flower produced by the saguaro cactus.
These usually start to appear in April and will bloom all the way through June. When the flowers bloom, they open up at night and will only stay bloomed for one day.
If you’re visiting in the late spring then be sure to be on the lookout for saguaros close to blooming — you’ll know they are close when you see the buds growing on the ends of their spears and arms.
23. Search for Desert wildlife
If you do a little bit of hiking here, you’ll likely come across rabbits, lizards, chipmunks, and tons of different birds. Other more rare wildlife include Gila monsters and desert tortoises but you could run into bobcats, javelina, rattlesnakes — the list just goes on.
24. Sonoran Desert Museum [West]
If you were visiting the West District, then I would highly recommend that you fit in a visit to the Sonoran Desert Museum — one of the top attractions in the Tucson area.
While not an official part of the national park, it’s home to a zoo, botanical garden, and much more. If you’re curious about much of the wildlife and vegetation native to the region, this is probably the best spot to go in order to get a glimpse at all of it.
25. Gates Pass [West]
If you’re looking for a beautiful scenic overlook, especially a great place to catch a sunset, then consider a stop at Gates Pass which is just outside of the West District.
There’s a parking lot here and you can hike up the mountain side to vantage points that look out west. This would be a perfect place to wrap up a visit to the West District of Saguaro National Park.
Final word
Obviously, there are a ton of things to do at Saguaro National Park. You just need to make sure that you find enough time to get everything done and see everything you would like to see.