December 13, 15, 17 , 2022

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK

Tucson, Arizona

“Saguaro National Park is in southern Arizona. Its 2 sections are on either side of the city of Tucson. The park is named for the large saguaro cactus, native to its desert environment. In the western Tucson Mountain District, Signal Hill Trail leads to petroglyphs of the ancient Hohokam people. In the eastern Rincon Mountain District, Cactus Forest Drive is a loop road with striking views of the desert landscape.” ― Google

December 13, 2022

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK EAST

Tucson, Arizona

“Saguaro National Park East is known for its Cactus Forest Scenic Loop Drive. It's a paved 8.3 mile road, which provides access to two picnic areas and several hiking trailheads.”

It took me about 2.5 hours to complete the 8.3-mile Cactus Forest Drive.  I stopped at several pull-offs on the one-way road and took the roads leading to the two picnic areas.  The Saguaros are magnificent.  I am so happy people were forward thinking making the area a national monument and eventually a national park to protect the cacti from becoming extinct.  The day was cool and partly-to-mostly-cloudy, but the views were still amazing.  I started on one trail but turned around when I had gotten what I considered a fair number of photographs.  While the first four to five miles were great, the saguaro forest in the final few miles along with the nearby mountains were just beautiful to look at.

December 15, 2022

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK WEST

Tucson, Arizona

“The Tucson Mountain District has 12 miles of paved roads and 8.5 miles of unpaved roads, including the 5-mile Bajada Loop Drive.  Hohokam petroglyphs etched into large stones are easily accessible in the Tucson Mountain District.  Among the notable structures in the Tucson Mountain District are ramadas, picnic tables, and restrooms built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1933 and 1941." - Wikipedia

Driving towards the western part of Saguaro National Park I was amazed at the saguaro forest that surrounded me.  I began my visit at the Visitor Center, taking in a short film explaining from the point of view of local Native Americans why the saguaro cactus and the surrounding area are so important.  Next, I drove the Bajada Loop, which from my research I knew was an unpaved road.  An attendant in the Visitor Center told me it was dirt but was navigable by any car.  I’m just glad I had my truck.  It’s a good thing the road was wide as I stopped several times just to take pictures.  I did stop at the Signal Hill area and took a short trail up a hill to see the Hohokam petroglyphs, which were worth the hike.  The trail, made of stone steps, was built by the CCC.

December 17, 2022

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK EAST

Tucson, Arizona

Had some free time so I drove out to the park on the east side of Tucson again. It was a different time of day than the first time I visited, and today the skies were clear. I had already taken several pictures of the saguaros, so I started concentrating on finding birds and/or other wildlife in the park. Overall, I was pleased with the second visit.