Saguaro National Park
 
The saguaro has been described as the Monarch of the Sonoran Desert, as a prickly horror, as the supreme symbol of the American Southwest, and as a plant It is renowned for the variety of odd, all-too-human shapes it assumes, shapes that inspire wild and fanciful imaginings. 

    Since 1933 this extraordinary giant cactus has been protected within Saguaro National Park. Preserved along with it is many of the other members of the Sonoran Desert Community-the other cacti, the desert trees, shrubs and animals. In lushness and variety of life, the Sonaran Desert far surpasses all other North American deserts. And yet, paradoxically, it is one of the hottest and driest regions on the continent.

    Summer midday temperatures quite commonly climb above 100 degrees F. Less than 12 inches of rain fall in a typical year. Between the summer and winter seasons it is not unusual for months to pass without a drop of rain. The plants and animals able to survive in this environment, with adaptations specifically designed for desert survival, make up one of the most interesting and unusual collections of life in the United States. This world awaits you in the desert plains, mountains, and foothills of Saguaro National Park.

    Saguaro National Park consists of 2 districts, Saguaro West and Saguaro East. The 2 areas, separated by the city of Tucson, are about 30 miles apart. Together Saguaro West and the much larger Saguaro East preserves 87,114 acres of the life and landscape of the Sonoran Desert, including the park's namesake, the saguaro.

Saguaro National Park

3693 Old Spanish Trail
520-733-5153 (Saguaro East)

2700 N. Kinney Rd.
520-733-5158 (Saguaro West)