Saguaro National Park is comprised of two districts which are 35 miles apart. The East District, which encompasses 118 square miles, is on the eastern side of Tucson, and was identified as a national monument in 1933. In 1961 twenty five square miles were added on the western side of Tucson and additional acreage was added later. In 1994 the National Monument designation was changed to a National Park. National Parks typically are selected for their scenic, educational, and recreational opportunities, while national monuments involve historic and scientific interests. At Saguaro, I think that the scenic value and recreational opportunities necessitated the change.
The drive into the West District is dramatically different than the suburban one experienced entering the East District. To the West the road weaves up and over the Tucson Mountain Range, passing through the strikingly beautiful Tucson Mountain Park, with its hairpin turns and dramatic views. It is owned by Pima County, and at 20,000 acres it is one of the largest parks in the U.S. owned by a local governement . It was hard to tell where one park ended and the other started.
Like our visit to the East District, the plan was to focus our outing on the featured scenic drive, the Bajada Loop Drive, with frequent stops at the pullovers and selective ventures onto formal trails. Bajada is a term used to reference the slope at the base of a mountain range. The Bajada Loop is basically compacted dirt and gravel with a fair number of potholes and ruts, making for a rougher drive than the scenic drive in the East District, which was paved. Still the beauty was amazing. The photo below shows the typical features of the Bajada Loop Drive.
Our first impression was that, although the West District gets somewhat less rain than the East District, the plants were more dense, with significantly more Saguaros. In addition, we were seeing a greater number of young Saguaros here.
Our first stop was the Sus Picnic area and we were the only visitors. In the photo below you can discern a picnic table amongst the Saguaros.
We immediately noted an abundance of wildlife, especially birds, and saw our first Gila Woodpecker atop a Saguaro across a small ravine. It is the Gila Woodpecker, along with the Gilded Flicker, that create the ubiquitous nesting cavities in the Saguaros.
Here is another Gila dwarfed by a massive cactus.
The primary hike that we planned on taking in the West District was the Signal Hill Trail, to see some petroglyphs – etchings in stone left by the indigenous peoples hundreds and thousands of years ago. Unfortunately the road into that area was closed for repairs and we had no reasonable way to reach the stone etchings. So we adopted Plan B.
The Valley View Trail is a popular trail because it offers a nice reward for a relatively short hike. It is a 0.4 mile out and back trail (0.8 miles round trip) through a sun drenched landscape. Luckily we had a nice breeze on this day in the upper 70s.
The trail rolls across the landscape in a gentle climb, assisted by some well placed stairs.
Along the route one is offered some outstanding vistas.
Eventually the climb becomes somewhat more acute,
but the hiker is rewarded with the Valley View that was promised in the trail name. At the crest there are a couple of benches inviting the visitor to pause and take in the broad view, which we did.
When one first sees the Sonoran Desert landscape it appears to be quite monotonous.
But as one immerses themself into it, one sees a diversity of plant and animal life. What initially appears to be a lot of one plant is really many different species with different hues of green, leaf structure, and plant architecture. I was surprised to learn that there are over 1,700 different plant species at Saguaro, an impressive number for the relative small acreage footprint. If one slows down and studies the plants, the differences are noted. They all play a different role in the ecosystem, offering pollen, seeds, and fruits at different times of the year.
Although it had only been two days since our visit to Saguaro East, we noted many more flowering plants at Saguaro West. One of our favorites was Brittle Bush, which initially we saw just budding out but not quite flowering.
But later we saw it in full display. Its leaves are covered with fine white hairs that reflect sunlight, protecting it from solar injury, and give them a grayish coloration.
Another of our favorite flowers was Desert Lupine. We have seen various Lupines across the country but were surprised to see them thriving in this harsh environment.
While we had seen the Fairy Duster in the East District, its display here was even more impressive.
There were many other flowering plants.
Wild Heliotrope and White Woolly Daisy
Head Sandmat and Jumping Chollo flower
Bearded Cryptantha and Desert Globemallow
Desert Chicory and Bristly Fiddleneck
Star Gila and Ocotillo
Another example of the diversity of the Sonoran Desert is in the hummingbird population, with 15 species being present in southeast Arizona. If one sits for a while you will most certainly note them buzzing from plant to plant in this early flowering season. In the photo below a Black-chinned Hummingbird feeds on an Ocotillo plant. By contrast, only one species of hummingbird typically nests east of the Mississippi River.
As a rule wildlife in the desert is active at night and hidden away out of the sun during the day. We did see evidence of wildlife, such as the numerous burrows in the rocky soil.
Still we were able to capture some animals active during the day.
Southwestern Fence Lizard and some Ants
Canyon Towhee
Lastly, we will close out with close up photos of the park’s namesake, the Saguaro.
In summary, our visit to Saguaro’s West District was outstanding. The drive in through the Tucson Mountain Park was a great preamble to the experience. It was quite surprising to see so many more flowering plants here than we saw in the East District, and I wonder if that was due to ecological damage secondary to the cattle grazing that took place in the East District through much of the twentieth century. One question that you get asked when people in Tucson find out that you visited Saguaro is, “Which district did you like better”? As I reflect on it now, the West District seemed less crowded and less hurried, giving us ample time to enjoy the unique setting, offering a diversity and abundance of plant life. If we return to Tucson we will be sure hike Tucson Mountain Park as it appeared outstanding as well.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns and Ellen Burns.
Overview:
Location – 2700 North Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ 85743, about 10 miles from downtown Tucson.
Parking – large asphalt lot with parking for 60 cars at the Red Hills Visitor Center. The pull offs generally held two cars and the trailhead parking 4 to 8 cars.
Facilities – restrooms at the Welcome Center and at the picnic areas in the park.
Trail Conditions – bare dirt and native rock/gravel, across a rolling terrain on the Valley View Trail.
Print Trail Map Link – https://www.friendsofsaguaro.org/vertical/sites/%7BFA6A2744-86BD-4391-A0EA-51F9464EC655%7D/uploads/Saguaro-National-Park-Trails-West1.pdf. There are also excellent park maps in the Hiking Guide pamphlet available at the Visitor Center.
Benches – two noted at the valley overlook.
Picnic Tables – in the formal picnic areas.
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 most trails. They are allowed at the Visitor Center and in the picnic areas.
Paired Hiking Trails – there are a number of trails in Saguaro West, varying in length and difficulty.
Links: