Our Top 3 Hikes in Saguaro National Park West
Visiting Saguaro National Park West is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the desert environment, among the forests of towering cacti (the largest in the country), the rugged peaks and canyons of the Tucson Mountains, and the spectacular sunsets that Arizona is famous for.
Hiking through the park is the best way to explore it up-close and personal! Here are three of our favorites to enjoy this gem of Southern Arizona.
Click Here to Purchase an Entrance Pass to Saguaro National Park
Note: All of these hikes run on multiple trails, other than the ones they are named after. For each hike, it is recommended to view the linked AllTrails guide for a map and description of the route.
Packrat & Passey Loop Trail
Coyote Pass Loop Trail
Wasson Peak
About Saguaro National Park
Entrance Fees
Entry to Saguaro National Park is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person who walks or bikes into the park. Entrance passes are valid for 7 days, and include admission to both the West and East Districts of the park. America the Beautiful Passes are valid for admission.
Click Here to Purchase an Entrance Pass
Getting There
Saguaro National Park West is approximately 2 hours from the Phoenix area, depending on which part of the park you go to. Trails closer to Marana (such as the Passey Loop and Coyote Pass Loop trails) are approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes from the Phoenix area. The park is about 25-30 minutes from Downtown Tucson, and about 20 minutes from Downtown Marana (Marana Rd. & I-10). Saguaro National Park West is easily accessed via Interstate 10 from both Phoenix and Tucson.
Getting Around
Not only is Saguaro National Park West easy to get to, it’s also easy to get around once you’re there. Picture Rocks Rd., Kinney Rd., and Sandario Rd. are major streets to the west of the Tucson Mountains that run through the park, providing easy access to different parts. Don’t worry, even though it’s easily accessible, it still is a wild landscape where you can feel like you’re in the middle of the wilderness!
When to Visit
Generally, most people visit Saguaro National Park from November-early April, due to the milder temperatures. If you’re wanting to see wildflowers, they typically bloom from the second week of March through early April. The saguaros themselves typically bloom in mid-May. Monsoon Season, where you can see spectacular lightning storms and cloud formations (from the safety of a car), generally runs from July-September, so make sure to exercise increased caution and pay attention to the weather forecast if you visit then.
One More Helpful Tip
Talk like a local when you're talking about the park's iconic cacti! "Saguaro" is pronounced "suh-WAR-oh". When you're telling your family and friends about your Arizona adventure, you can impress them with this interesting fact!
Hiking Safety
On your hike, please make sure to remember Leave No Trace principles, and practice basic hiking safety by observing these guidelines:
- Bring plenty of water (at least 2 liters per person, 3 liters for longer hikes or in the summer), salty snacks, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Turn around when half of your water is gone.
- Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes or hiking boots.
- Make sure to check the weather before you go and do not go if extreme heat or storms are in the forecast.
- Make sure to tell someone where you're going, what trail you plan on hiking on, and when you plan to return.
- Do not approach, feed, or handle any wildlife.
- Stick to existing trails, avoid cutting switchbacks or taking "shortcuts", as this can cause erosion and damage to the landscape.
- Pack out and discard all trash, including food waste.
- Leave what you find, do not remove archaeological artifacts, wildflowers, rocks, or anything else from the environment.
Explore More
![Lightning strikes at night near Marana.](https://marana.imgix.net/images/Marana-Lightning-at-Night.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=320&q=80&w=320&s=92703de0a728b30c4985f06caf017703 320w, https://marana.imgix.net/images/Marana-Lightning-at-Night.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=540&q=80&w=540&s=ff63002fdf893e080c1ba92d5a379102 540w, https://marana.imgix.net/images/Marana-Lightning-at-Night.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=768&s=3619775e41188cab0588e4d487c4000d 768w, https://marana.imgix.net/images/Marana-Lightning-at-Night.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1024&q=80&w=1024&s=7c3c136403737f8abac213c5e38e5d05 956w)
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Where to Catch Lightning in Marana
According to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the Marana area is widely regarded as the “lightning capital of the world.”
![A tall cactus standing in front of the mountainous horizon in Marana.](https://marana.imgix.net/images/blog-images/img_e6711__large.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=320&q=80&w=320&s=192a4f76e6f3b1e7aecb22a241b4b8c9 320w, https://marana.imgix.net/images/blog-images/img_e6711__large.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=540&q=80&w=540&s=2f217d61650176fc7b7fb1c534baa9bb 540w, https://marana.imgix.net/images/blog-images/img_e6711__large.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=768&s=5f1a9d697c3b9d04570f5b841b594d28 768w)
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The Top 3 Hikes in Marana
Get outdoors and immerse yourself in the desert with some of our favorite hikes!
![Several yellow wildflowers blooming in a desert near Marana, AZ.](https://marana.imgix.net/images/blog-images/wildflowers.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=320&q=80&w=320&s=69df56fe665825a03ae165f9c2c5e92d 320w, https://marana.imgix.net/images/blog-images/wildflowers.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=540&q=80&w=540&s=8277ae0a904b745c815318f035b9dcf9 540w, https://marana.imgix.net/images/blog-images/wildflowers.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=768&s=8c7dc515abac4e85235db1c543913a24 768w, https://marana.imgix.net/images/blog-images/wildflowers.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1024&q=80&w=1024&s=e17928934a59532c291e030d2aa9fae1 1024w, https://marana.imgix.net/images/blog-images/wildflowers.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1200&q=80&w=1200&s=fb50e22f7e15f20c612eefb6bad2399e 1136w)
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Springtime is Desert Wildflower Season in Southern Arizona!
The cooler temperatures and increased rainfall of the winter months lay the groundwork for the Sonoran Desert to be transformed…