Park Archives: Saguaro National Park

Gently sloping alluvial hills below the Tucson Mountains create ideal habitat for saguaros, which grow in stands so dense they're called cactus forests. Seedlings have the best chance of survival when sheltered by "nurse trees" like mesquite, ironwood, or palo verde.

Saguaros grow very slowly at first—an inch or so during their first six to eight years. It may be 70 years before they sprout branches, or arms. They reach full height, 40-50 feet, at about age 150. The tallest may reach 75 feet. Long, woody ribs support their multi-ton bulk.

Saguaros collect water through shallow roots extending about as far outward as the main trunk is tall. As saguaros soak up water, accordion-like pleats in the trunk and arms expand to allow for storage in the spongy flesh. Waxy skin reduces moisture loss. Spines shade the plant, shield it from drying winds, and discourage damage from animals.

Cream-colored flowers appear in early summer. White-winged doves, lesser long-nosed bats, honeybees, and moths feed on nectar and pollinate as they go. In July the deep-red fruit ripens, food for animals and humans. Doves, bats, javelina, and fox are among the animals that eat the fruit, while pack rats and jackrabbits eat the flesh of the cactus.

Birds find not just food in saguaros, but homes as well. Gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers make nest holes in the trunks and large limbs. Others occupy abandoned holes or build nests in upper branches. Raptors perch on the tallest branches to spot prey.

Saguaros usually die of old age, but lightning, freezing, wind, and drought can kill them. Other threats are loss of habitat and invasive species like buffelgrass, which increases the threat of deadly fires.

Saguaro National Park ranges in elevation from 2,180 feet in the low-lying areas of the Tucson Mountain District to 8,666-foot Mica Mountain in the Rincon Mountain District. This remarkable range, along with sun and wind exposure and access to water, creates widely varied habitats.

Cactus species often have names that help identify them: hedgehog, barrel, staghorn, and fishhook. One cholla is called "teddy bear," but don't try to cuddle! The low desert also has creosote, catclaw, ocotillo, and trees like mesquite, ironwood, and palo verde.

This multicolored landscape is even more showy when winter rains bring blossoms like the gold poppy, blue lupine, and daisy-yellow brittlebush. In summer, people and animals search out prickly pear and other cactus fruit.

If you venture into the Rincon Mountains, you climb through grasslands, oak-pinyon-juniper woodlands, and eventually to coniferous forest dominated by ponderosa pine, with southwestern white pine, Gambel oak, aspen, white fir, and Douglas fir—all typically found much farther north.

The high elevation and increased moisture—it can snow over 100 inches annually—support species not usually associated with the Sonoran Desert. Among the 200 bird species are year-round residents: the Steller's jay, bridled titmouse, and pygmy nuthatch. White-tailed and mule deer are more common than black bears, mountain lions, and the white-nosed coati.

Like the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert, people have found ways to cope with its extremes for thousands of years. People of the Hohokam culture left their mark on what is now the park—literally in the form of petroglyphs3between 450 and 1450 CE. They gathered and hunted food and devised irrigation systems for farming. Designs they pecked and scraped into rocks are still visible.

Today, the Tohono O'odham ("Desert People") continue to harvest ripe saguaro fruit using a pole called a kuipad fashioned from long saguaro ribs. From the bright red pulp they make syrup, jelly, and ceremonial wine.

Newcomers came to southern Arizona in the 1500s. Spanish explorers sought riches and missionaries sought converts. Their mission and presidio in the native village of Stjukson eventually grew into modern Tucson. Some native groups resisted the encroachment: Apache raids on local communities continued to the end of the 1800s.

Southern Arizona became a US territory in 1854, and the 1862 Homestead Act opened up land for those willing to settle here. The dry, rocky bajada of the Tucson Mountains wasn't suited to farming, but prospectors worked silver and copper mines. Most were just exploratory holes in the ground, long since filled or fenced for safety.

Settlers also established cattle ranches on their land claims. By the early 1900s most ranches were consolidated into large holdings. You can hike through the site of the Freeman Homestead in the Rincon Mountain District.

In 1933, with pressure from local conservationists, a 62,000-acre section of the Rincon Mountains became a national monument. From 1933 to 1942 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed picnic areas, roads, and water control dams in the park. See many of these structures at the Tucson Mountain District, added in 1961.

Saguaro became a national park in 1994. East and west of Tucson you can experience the Sonoran Desert, getting to know its past and present—and helping to protect its future.

VISITOR CENTERS
Open daily 9 am to 5 pm Mountain Standard Time (this part of Arizona does not observe daylight saving time). Closed December 25. Information desk, exhibits, films, maps, books, souvenirs, and other sales items.

WATER, RESTROOMS, AND PICNIC AREAS
Water is available only at visitor centers. Carry and drink at least one gallon per day, even if you don't feel thirsty. Visitor center restrooms have sinks and flush toilets. Pit toilets are at all picnic areas except Mam-A-Gah. Picnic areas have at least one shaded table. Fires—in designated grills only—must be closely attended and extinguished after use.

FOOD, LODGING, CAMPING
Tucson and other nearby communities have food and lodging; not available in park. No car camping allowed in park; ask at visitor center about nearby campgrounds. Backcountry hike-in sites (minimum 5- to 6-mile hike) are in Saguaro East District only. Permits required, obtain at visitor center by noon of departure day.

SCENIC DRIVES
Both districts have roads designed for sightseeing. Obey speed limits. Off-road driving prohibited. Share the road. Bicycles may be used on all roadways and on two short trails in the East District; no rental facilities in the park.

TRAILS
The park has over 175 miles of trails. Get detailed hiking maps at visitor centers or the park website. No off-trail hiking below 4,500 feet. Maximum group size is 18 persons. Hiking in extreme heat can be hazardous; pace yourself. Watch out for prickly plants and venomous animals. Never put hands or feet in places you can't see. Lightning and flash floods are frequent in summer and possible year-round. Horses are permitted on many park trails; no rental facilities in the park.

PETS
Welcome on roadways, in picnic areas, and on the Desert Discovery and Desert Ecology paved nature trails. Pets must always be on a leash no longer than 6 feet.

ACCESSIBILITY
We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. Ask a ranger, call, or visit our website.

COLLECTING AND FIREARMS
Federal law protects all plants, animals, rocks, and cultural features. Do not damage, collect or disturb them. For a full list of regulations, including firearms information, visit the park website.

CACTUS FOREST LOOP DRIVE
This 8-mile scenic drive winds through a saguaro forest and offers a close and leisurely look at a variety of Sonoran Desert life. This paved, oneway road begins at the visitor center. Open sunrise to sunset. The 0.25-mile paved Desert Ecology Trail, off Cactus Forest Drive, lets you explore desert life. This self-guiding trail is wheelchair-accessible.

PICNIC AREAS
There are two picnic areas in the Rincon Mountain District, both off Cactus Forest Drive. Each has picnic tables, fire grills, and pit toilets. There is no water.

BACKCOUNTRY
Several longer hiking trails lead into the remote backcountry, a part of the park few people experience because you can get to it only by foot or horseback. Unlike the lowland cactus desert, the Rincon Mountains have woodlands of scrub oak and pine and forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Because many of the trails intersect, trips of varying length can be planned.

Horseback Riding is allowed on most trails. Before hiking or horseback riding in the Rincon Mountain District, check on trail status and conditions with a park ranger. Backcountry camping is permitted only at designated sites. Get backcountry use permits at visitor center before taking an overnight trip. Camping permit fees apply.

CACTUS GARDEN TRAIL
Just outside the visitor center is the Cactus Garden Trail, a wheelchair-accessible walkway through a variety of desert plants. Another short unpaved trail follows a sandy wash behind the visitor center.

PICNIC AREAS
Four picnic areas are along park roads. A backcountry picnic area is reached by trail; please pack out all trash from this site. Each area has tables. grills, shade ramadas, and pit toilets, but no water. There are no toilets at Mam-A-Gah.

DESERT DISCOVERY NATURE TRAIL—WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE
Flat, paved 0.5-mile loop through a stand of large saguaros. Begins at parking area 1 mile north of visitor center.

BAJADA LOOP DRIVE
Includes Hohokam Road and part of Golden Gate Road to create a 5-mile loop drive. Roads are unpaved but suitable for passenger vehicles. Not recommended for motor homes, buses, or vehicles pulling a trailer. Open to vehicles from dawn to dusk.

Along the drive is the Valley View Overlook Trail, 0.8-mile roundtrip with views of the mountains, desert, and saguaro forests.

PETROGLYPHS
Located at Signal Hill picnic area. A 0.3-mile roundtrip trail allows you to see dozens of drawings etched into rock. These date from the Hohokam period, 450-1450 CE. Trail is unpaved with rock steps.

WILDERNESS
In 1976 Congress designated over 70 percent of the park as a wilderness area, preserving the land's natural conditions. Many trails allow you to hike in Saguaro's wilderness. Please visit www.wilderness.net.

The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

1941		1945		1949
1951		cover only 1953		1955
1956		1957		1962	1963
1965	1967	1972	cover only 1974	1975	1979
cover only 1980	1981	1984	1985
1986-1992		cover only 1993-1999		cover only 1999-2007
2003 (Spanish Edition)		cover only 2009-2017		cover only 2016-2020

A Checklist of the Birds of Saguaro National Monument 1993	Bird Checklist Rincon Mountain District 2013	Bird Checklist Tucson Mountain District 2013	Hiking among the Saguaro Date Unknown	Date Unknown	2010 Saguaro Census at Saguaro National Park Volunteer Opportunity 2010
Air Quality and the Tucson Basin Date Unknown		Day Hiking Trails of the Rincon Mountain District SPMA—1/91—3M		Day Hiking Trails of the Rincon Mountain District 1998
Camping in the Tucson Area Date Unknown		Camping in the Tucson Area Date Unknown		General Information Date Unknown
The Saguaro Wilderness Area 2011		cover only Rincon Mountain Wilderness Travel 1990		Easy Trails Along the Cactus Forest Drive Date Unknown
Hiking in the Cactus Forest Rincon Mountain District Date Unknown		Hiking in the Cactus Forest Rincon Mountain District Date Unknown		Hiking and Nature Trails In The Tucson Mountain District SPMA—10m—2/90
Non-Native Plants in the Sonoran Desert Date Unknown		Desert Tortoise Date Unknown		Meet the Monster! Date Unknown
Geology of the Rincon Mountains Date Unknown		Geology of the Tucson Mountains Date Unknown		Javelina Date Unknown
The Saguaro Cactus Date Unknown		Africanized Honey Bees Date Unknown		Date Unknown
Date Unknown		Date Unknown		Date Unknown
Date Unknown		Rincon Valley Area 2011		History of Mining in the Tucson Mountain District Date Unknown
Rock Art Date Unknown		Those Who Came Before Prehistory at Saguaro National Park Date Unknown		The CCC: "We Can Take It!" Date Unknown
Cactus Forest Drive c1960		Cactus Forest Drive 1977	cover only Cactus Forest Drive 2006	Desert Discovery Nature Trail/Senda De La Naturalega Para El Descubrimiento Del Desierto 1976
Trading Cards
			(©Jefferson National Parks Association)

Dynamics of Rare and Sensitive Waters in Saguaro National Park Final Report (Jennifer Aldred, Sylvana Bendana, Alexandra Bijak, Jesper Devantier, Megan Haserodt, Heather Lancaster, Gregory Luna Golya, Derek Schook, Daniel Winkler, Don E. Swann, Colleen Filippone and Joshua Conver, March 2014)

Natural Resource Condition Assessment, Saguaro National Park NPS Natural Resource Report NPS/SODN/NRR-2017/1364 (Patricia Valentine-Darby, Lisa Baril, Kimberly Struthers, Colleen Filippone, Don Swann, Allyson Mathis and Nina Chambers, January 2017)

Re-Establishment of Saguaros Southwestern Monuments Special Report No. 26 (Carleton S. Wilder and Judith C. Wilder, August 1939)

The 2010 Saguaro Census (Don E. Swann, Kara O'Brien, Adam Springer, Dana Backer and Becky MacEwen, 2010)

The following visual bibliography is just a sampling of the handbooks and books which have been published for this park. NPSHistory.com does not endorse these, but are merely presenting them for informational purposes only. As most are copyrighted, we are only able to provide the covers, and not contents, of these publications.

Natural History Handbook #4 1957	1972	cover only Bajada Loop Drive 1984	cover only Reflections on the Cactus Forest Drive 1984
1985	cover only Saguaro: A View of Saguaro National Monument & the Tucson Basin Gary Paul Nabhan 1986	cover only 1993	cover only Saguaro: The Desert Giant Anna Humphreys and Susan Lowell 2002
cover only Frequently Asked Questions About the Saguaro Janice Emily Bowers 2003	A Guide to the Geology of Saguaro National Park John V. Bezy 2005	cover only 2006