Posts on this site may contain affiliate links. This means that whenever you buy or book something through those links, we may earn a small commission – without any extra cost to you at all! You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.
The very symbols of the American Wild West, huge numbers of saguaros dot the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona. These tall, branching cacti, reaching heights of more than 40 feet (12 meters), dominate and characterize the region. Near the ever-expanding urban sprawl of Tucson, this unique landscape, and its flora and fauna, is protected in Saguaro National Park.
The park consists of two separate districts—the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) west of Tucson and the Rincon Mountain District (RMD) to the east. The two areas are distinctly different, the TMD home to desert plains and bone-dry mountain ranges while conifer forests and wilderness characterize the higher elevations of the RMD. Yet, both have more than their fair share of saguaros.
A Park Worth Visiting
To properly explore Saguaro National Park, you need two days minimum, at least one full day in each district (which is exactly what we did a few weeks ago). This blog post, however, is not about providing you all kinds of visitor information, itineraries or things to do in Saguaro National Park, but simply about triggering your desire to visit this relatively less-explored American national park. Hopefully, this selection of my favorite Saguaro National Park photos will do just that.
It may receive a fraction of the visitors that its northern Arizona neighbor Grand Canyon National Park gets, but I strongly encourage you to consider visiting Saguaro National Park as well if you’re in the area. Just because it lies on both sides of Tucson, it’s amazingly accessible and every possible tourist facility is readily available.
Saguaro National Park Photo Essay
Like I said, this photo post is mainly to inspire you to visit this great little park in the southern Arizona desert. It’s one of classic deserts parks in America, one that belongs on any road trip itinerary in the Arizona. For example, combined with places like Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, it makes for a phenomenal desert drive.
Early-morning sun rays hit a tall saguaro in the Tucson Mountain District.
Both sunrises and sunsets are absolutely beautiful in this scenic park.
The Loma Verde Loop is one of the greatest, short hikes in the Rincon Mountain District.
Many plant species thrive in the Sonoran Desert, among the most famous of which is the prickly pear cactus.
Inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years, Saguaro National Park has its fair share of ancient petroglyphs.
A warm panoramic view of the countless cacti in the Tucson Mountains.
Although there are no campgrounds in the Tucson Mountain District, you can still pitch a tent at the Gilbert Rat Campground, just outside the park’s boundaries.
The varied desert vegetation offers a home to many bird species, such as this curve-billed thrasher.
Dramatic snapshot of the Rincon Mountain District, by far the most rugged of Saguaro National Park’s two districts.
Very slow growers, saguaros can grow up to 40-50 feet tall and reach an age of 150+ years.
The best way to explore the Tucson Mountains is the 5-mile (8-kilometer) Bajada Scenic Loop, an unpaved drive through a gorgeous desert landscape dotted with saguaros.
Reached via a wonderful hiking trail, Wasson Peak offers spectacular 360-degrees views of the Tucson Mountains, surrounding valleys and the city of Tucson.
With a person next to them, you can really see how tall these saguaros actually are.
Not only plants thrive in the desert; wildlife such as this black-tailed jackrabbit does, too.
Morning light in Saguaro National Park.
As the sun dips below the horizon, it paints the desert sky in all kinds of red, purple and pink.
Saguaro spikes, a close-up of the plants’ efficient defense mechanism.
One of the best views in the Tucson Mountains, Gates Pass Overlook, lies outside the park along one of the main access roads from Tucson.
This is one of my favorite Saguaro National Park photos, just because it shows the huge variety in flora that lives in the Sonoran Desert.
Step outside your tent at the Gilbert Ray Campground and you’re immediately among towering saguaro cacti.
Pin It!
Other National Park Photo Essays
- California’s Channel Islands National Park in Photos
- California’s Death Valley National Park in Photos
- Utah’s Arches National Park in Photos
- Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park in Photos
- Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park in Photos
- Maine’s Acadia National Park in Photos
- Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park in Photos
- Utah’s National Parks in 50 Photos
- Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Photos