It had me at the name, Cactus Forest Trail, implying a great concentration of cacti – a new ecosystem for me. In truth, the trail was also selected for its ranking as “easy”, since this would be the photographer’s first true trail hike since being released from her walking boot. We were blessed with clear blue skies.

The Cactus Forest Trail is a path that transects the Cactus Forest Drive Loop at Saguaro National Park, touching both its northern and southern reaches.

This segment of the trail within the loop is 2.5 miles in length, which would entail five miles since it is essentially an out and back trail from the selected trailhead. As part of the photographer’s rehab we did not plan to hike the entire stretch, but rather opted to have a planned one hour hike – the phone timer was set for 30 minutes at which point we would turn back.

The trail crosses a dry valley floor with exposed rocky soil hosting many species of cacti, including some tall Saguaro specimens.

The term “easy” is relative. While there was only mild terrain change over the course of the trail, the surface presented challenges for one nursing an injured Achilles tendon. It was a combination of crushed rock, gravel, small stones, and some rutting, which led to uneven foot placement. The challenge was that the beauty and uniqueness of the setting pulled one’s eyes to the vistas and not to the trail surface.

As the trail wove across the valley floor we were in close proximity to Saguaros which allowed us to appreciate their true grandeur.

Up close you could appreciate the way the Saguaro narrows near the ground, and at times see the exposed woody lateral roots that usually lay within the first 4 to 6 inches of rocky soil. The roots are similar to those seen at the base of pine trees, with some scaling as captured in the first photo below. The Saguaro also have a tap root that goes down about two feet, but the lateral roots are more important to the survival of the plant.

And just off the trail were many majestic specimens. To be honest, it never got old.

We even caught a glimpse of a somewhat rare “Crested Saguaro”, where a specimen develops an abnormal branching pattern at its tip. No one is sure what causes it but theories include a genetic mutation, a growth hormone abnormality, or possibly even a lightning strike. Unfortunately the position of the sun prevented us from getting a crisp, well lit photo.

As we hiked we could more closely observe the relationship between the Saguaros and their “nurse trees”, which shield them from the elements in the desert, both the cold of the winter and the heat of the summer, allowing them time to develop effective root systems. Without the nurse trees the survival of germinated and juvenile specimens greatly declines. The specimens in the photos below are approximately 30, 60, and 80 years of age respectively.

Along the trail we were also able to study and appreciate the Saguaro’s Sonoran Desert companion plants.

Among these were the Barrel Cacti, with their caps of yellow fruit.

There was also a collection of Cholla Cacti, including this Staghorn Cholla.

Jumping Cholla – one way this plant reproduces is a segment will fall off, “jump” so to speak, and root to start a new plant. You can see some fallen sections on the desert floor at the base of the parent. They are also known as Chain-fruit Cholla. Fruits with viable seeds can remain on the plants for decades in the form of “chains”. They are a source of water for larger herbivores, such as Bighorn sheep, during drought.

If we were giving out awards for cute cacti, probably the Pincushion Cactus would get it. They are diminutive when compared to other cacti, and can be seen on the ground beneath the Mesquite tree in this photo.

The detail is better appreciated on close up view. These specimens were just a few inches tall and are full grown.

In addition to the cacti, the landscape is dotted with both Mesquite and Palo Verde trees and this was my first up close exposure to both of them. In this challenging setting the trees are comparatively stunted, generally less than 10 feet in height.

The Mesquite trees have gnarly architecture and nearly black bark.

To lessen the risk of water loss through evaporation the pinnate leaves are small and the leaflets thick.

The Palo Verde also has developed characteristics to thrive in this arid setting.

Their leaves are also small and only on the tree for a short time in the late winter and early spring. The green bark of the branches however has chlorophyll and therefore the tree can carry on photosynthesis without the leaves being present. Fascinating. You can also see that the tree is armed with pointy tips at the end of the branches.

With the poor soil and exposed terrain there were little in the way of herbaceous plants along the trail. That said, this Gordons Bladderpod looked outstanding in the bright sunshine.

On this closeup you can appreciate the thick waxy leaves that help prevent loss of moisture.

One interesting historical finding that we came upon was the foundation of an old rangers’ cabin dating to the 1930s. It was used by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) during the construction of the park.

Amongst the stones we found these brick markings. PCP stands for the Pacific Clay Products company out of Los Angeles, California and these were manufactured from 1921 to 1953. Excelsior was a “firebrick” that was not damaged by high temperatures and therefore used for fireplaces and chimneys.

As we reviewed the photos of the hike, what stood out were the excellent images we had of the simple beauty of the cacti on close up.

Saguaro – I didn’t notice it in the field but the photos show that the spines higher up on the plant are whitish and those at eye level are dark.

Buckhorn Cholla – one of the seven cholla species at Saguaro.

Jumping Cholla – featured these uniform segmentations.

Arizona Barrel Cactus – the spines are hooked shaped and have a ribbed texture. The fruits have a pineapple like shape.

Barrel Cactus species – notice that its spines are not hooked shape like the Arizona Barrel Cactus. Apparently there is a lot of natural hybridization amongst the barrel cacti species, making specific identification challenging. This one is most similar to Emory’s Barrel Cacti.

Santa Rita Prickly Pear Cactus – with its beautiful colors and textures, it is utilized in desert gardens.

The Cactus Forest Trail leads the hiker to two historical lime kilns, as well as a side trail that heads to Lime Falls, a seasonal waterfall that is active following storms. The historical presence of the kilns was one of the things that contributed to the decline in Saguaros in the past, as the wood of the nurse trees were used to fire the kilns. Given our distance restrictions we did not quite reach these features.

In summary, our short trek on the Cactus Forest Trail was a success. We had our first full immersion into the Sonoran Desert ecosystem and the photographer’s Achilles was none the worse for wear. Being able to examine the varied cacti up close and appreciating the nature of their spines was fascinating. Also, standing next to mature Saguaros was epic, something that I always wanted to experience.

Footpathsblog.com posts are released every Sunday morning and some bonus content is added periodically. Please click on a social media icon above to follow for future posts and to make sure that you catch all our reflections on, and adventures with, the great outdoors.

Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns and Ellen Burns.

Overview:

Location – 3693 South Old Spanish Trail Tucson, AZ 85730-5601, about 20 miles from downtown Tucson.

Parking – large asphalt lot with parking for 60 cars at the Welcome Center. Parking for 6 cars at the trailhead.

Facilities – restrooms at the Welcome Center and at the picnic areas in the park.

Trail Conditions – bare dirt and native rock/gravel across a mostly flat terrain.

Print Trail Map Link – https://www.friendsofsaguaro.org/vertical/sites/%7BFA6A2744-86BD-4391-A0EA-51F9464EC655%7D/uploads/Saguaro-East-Map_long_hikes1.pdf. There are also excellent park maps in the Hiking Guide pamphlet available at the Welcome Center.

Benches – none noted on the section of trail that we traversed.

Picnic Tables – none associated with this hike

Kids – four and over should do well but with the understanding that most of the plants are armed with spines or thorns.

Dogs – are prohibited on this trail. They are allowed in the picnic areas and on the all persons trails while on a leash.

Paired Hiking Trails – there are a number of trails in Saguaro East, varying in length and difficulty.

Links:

https://www.friendsofsaguaro.org/vertical/sites/%7BFA6A2744-86BD-4391-A0EA-51F9464EC655%7D/uploads/Saguaro-National-Park-Trails-East1.pdf