A Guide to Saguaro National Park

We are lucky to have one of the Nation’s most treasured and most unique natural areas, Saguaro National Park, right in our backyard. The park is famous for two of the most quintessential icons of Arizona – towering saguaro cacti and striking sunsets.

Find out everything you need to know about visiting Saguaro National Park, which is sure to be a memorable highlight of your Marana adventure!

See this 2021 article about Saguaro National Park in National Geographic magazine.

Park Overview

First things first – the namesake cactus is pronounced “suh-WAR-oh”, so when you visit, you can already sound like a local!

Saguaro National Park consists of two distinctly different districts, located in two different mountain ranges on opposite sides of Tucson. Marana is closest to Saguaro National Park West, and the East District is about an hour’s drive away.

Saguaro National Park West

Saguaro National Park West is quite literally in Marana’s backyard, with several areas of the park actually bordering the Town itself, clearly visible as you go around visiting your favorite attractions, events, and restaurants. The West District is officially known as the Tucson Mountain District, since it contains the Tucson Mountain Range.

The west side of the park covers about 25,000 acres, and stretches from near the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (a world-class zoo and botanical garden) and Old Tucson (a family theme park that has been a filming location for hundreds of western movies and TV shows) in the south, to the Town of Marana in the northeast corner. The park encompasses the mountain range itself, as well its western slope and rolling foothills, which provide ideal conditions for the densest concentration of saguaro cacti anywhere in the country.

The Tucson Mountains are rugged, contain several unique rock formations (such as Sombrero Peak, Panther Peak, and the minor peaks that look like saw teeth in between them), and are much more like what one would expect to find in a desert, with exposed rocks, saguaros, other cacti, and other chapparal-type vegetation.

Saguaro National Park East

Saguaro National Park East, located on the southeast side of Tucson, contains the Rincon Mountains and is officially known as the Rincon Mountain District. The East District still contains plenty of saguaros, but also is home to more perennial streams, waterfalls, and higher elevations. These give the Rincon Mountains a distinctly more “alpine” feel, with cooler temperatures, grassy areas, and generally thicker vegetation.

Can I Visit Both Saguaro National Park West and East In One Day?

Both the West and East areas of the park offer very different experiences. If you do have the time, we recommend visiting both areas of the park. Both are convenient and accessible from Marana. The West side of the park offers many scenic “oohs!” and “ahhs”, having some of the largest stands of saguaro cacti in the world, which you can enjoy as a hiker, photographer; or from picnic tables or your car. If you visit during March or April, you can see expanses of wildflowers all throughout the park, and you can also see petroglyphs in several areas that date back to the Hohokam era and beyond.

The East side of the park also has many scenic drives, and offers a greater diversity of hikes, both in scenery, difficulty, and length. It has pine forests, much higher elevations, and several campgrounds that are accessible only to hikers.

If you only have one day, Saguaro National Park West is close to Marana, and it offers an easy chance to see the iconic saguaro-covered desert landscape, interesting rock formations, and some shorter hikes, plus two other famous Southern Arizona attractions (the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Old Tucson) in one visit.

So, the short answer to the original question is, “technically yes”, but in order to experience each part of the park fully, it’s best to visit each side on different days.

Where Is The Saguaro National Park Visitor Center Located?

The Red Hills Visitor Center covers the West (Tucson Mountain) District and is also the main visitor center for the park as a whole. It’s located at:

2700 N. Kinney Rd
Tucson, AZ 85743
(520) 733-5158
Hours: Daily, 9 AM - 5 PM

The Red Hills Visitor Center is located on the south side of Saguaro National Park West, about 30 minutes from most of Marana. From the Continental Ranch area in southern Marana, it’s a short and scenic drive over the Tucson Mountains into the park. At the visitor center, you’ll find a bookstore, interpretive exhibits, movies to watch, trails, restrooms, and friendly park rangers to answer any questions you may have.

If you are visiting Saguaro National Park East, the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center is located at:

3693 S Old Spanish Trail
Tucson, AZ 85730
(520) 733-5153
Hours: Daily, 9 AM - 5 PM

You can also find a bookstore, souvenir shop, and restrooms, as well as helpful park rangers to answer your questions, at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center.

King Canyon Trail in Saguaro National Park West.

When Is The Park Open?

In both districts, you can walk or bike into the park anytime day or night. Saguaro National Park West is open to vehicles from 7 AM to sunset daily. However, several roads, including Picture Rocks Road, Kinney Road, and Sandario Road pass through the park, and there are numerous pull-out areas where you can enjoy the desert landscape and spectacular night sky from your car. Saguaro National Park East is open to vehicles from 7 AM to sunset daily.

Stargazers and night sky photographers will frequent the park, which is known for its dark skies and good visibility. In fact, Saguaro National Park is a designated Urban Night Sky Place, one of only nine in the world, owing to its excellent stargazing conditions within close proximity to a major city.

CreditNational Park Service

When Is the Best Time of Year to Visit Saguaro National Park?

November through April are popular months for visiting, since temperatures are still mild, ranging from the high 50s to low 80s Fahrenheit. If you’re looking to see cactus and wildflower blooms, Wildflower Season typically runs from the second week of March through mid-April, and the Saguaro Cactus flowers typically start blooming in late April.

Lupine flowers in a verdant desert environment with saguaro cacti in the background.

What Makes Saguaro National Park And Its Iconic Cacti So Special?

Saguaro National Park has some of the prettiest desert landscapes, with both desert floor and uplands, and the largest and most impressive cacti you’ll see anywhere on earth. Saguaro National Park West has hillsides covered with saguaro cacti. The uniquely folded mountain range running through the park creates an ideal microclimate for the saguaro forest to thrive. The elevation ranges from 2,180 ft. to 4,687 ft. and includes two bioclimates: desert scrub (desert floor) and desert grassland (upland).

The saguaro has different columnar variations: crested saguaros are rare and quite striking, some saguaros have no arms, some have many arms, not all arms point upward, and saguaros can grow to be 40 feet tall. Saguaros are a “motel” of sorts for many types of winged creatures, perching on top of or making their homes inside of the cacti!

CreditNick Reyna

When Does the Saguaro Cactus Flower?

The Saguaro Cactus Flowering season extends from late April through July. Saguaro flowers are exotic and delicate. They are the lotus flowers of the desert. They typically flower over a few months and their pollinators include bees, bats, white-winged doves, hummingbirds, orioles, woodpeckers, flickers, verdin, and house finches. After they flower, they bear ruby-red, sweet fruit that was commonly eaten by the various people groups inhabiting the Sonoran Desert for millennia. Learn more about saguaros and their beautiful flowers here.

A flowering saguaro cactus with cholla plants and the Tucson Mountains in the background.

How Much Does It Cost to Get In to Saguaro National Park?

As of 2024, admission 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 both the West and East Districts. Passes can be purchased online or in person at any either of the visitor centers (credit/debit cards only, cash is not accepted). America the Beautiful Passes are valid for admission.

Click HERE to purchase an Entrance Pass online.

Throughout the year, the National Park Service designates Free Days, where entrance fees are waived. Check the park’s website for up-to-date information on each year’s Free Days, but they generally are:

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January)
  • First Day of National Park Week (late April)
  • Juneteenth (June 19th)
  • Great American Outdoors Day (August 4th)
  • National Public Lands Day (September 28th)
  • Veterans Day (November 11th)

Where Can I Find Maps Of The Park?

Below are a few helpful park maps:


Where Can You Stay Near Saguaro National Park?

Make Marana, Arizona your base camp for exploring Saguaro National Park and the entire Sonoran Desert region. Marana offers a range of accommodations from family-friendly motels to luxurious resort lodging and camping options. Learn more on our Where To Stay page.

Parts of Saguaro National Park West, such as the iconic Sombrero Peak, are located near and are clearly visible from Marana, Arizona.

Are There Guided Tours Available?

Park rangers offer ongoing tours, events, and activities. This is an excellent way to learn more about the desert’s unique ecosystem and engage with seasonal changes in the park throughout the year. Find fun and educational activities for your family on the park event page.

Fun Facts & Figures About Saguaro National Park

  • 1933: Saguaro National Monument first created by President Herbert Hoover.
  • 1994: Saguaro National Monument elevated to National Park status.
  • 1 - 1.5 inches: Amount a saguaro grows in the first eight years of its life.
  • 50 to 70 years: Age when saguaros typically grow their first arms.
  • 35 years: Age when saguaros start to produce flowers.
  • 6 tons and 50 feet: Size of an adult saguaro.
  • 150 - 175 years: Average lifespan of a saguaro, with some living to be more than 200 years old.
  • 550 – 1,550 years: Approximate age of petroglyphs in Saguaro National Park.
  • 165: Miles of hiking trails throughout the park.
  • 10.27 inches: Annual average precipitation in the Tucson Mountain District.
  • 12.30 inches: Annual average precipitation in the Rincon Mountain District.
  • 2,000 - 4,600 feet: Elevations in the Tucson Mountain District.
  • 2,600 - 8,600 feet: elevations in the Rincon Mountain District.
  • 25,000: Acres of land to explore in the Tucson Mountain District.
  • 57,930: Acres of accessible backcountry wilderness in the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park.

Park History

In the 1920s, naturalists at the University of Arizona started to express interest in preserving iconic plants like the saguaro cactus. Stakeholders began to campaign to promote conservation efforts and the land was officially designated a National Monument in 1933, with a Proclamation signed by President Herbert Hoover. In 1994, Congress made Saguaro into a National Park. To learn more about Saguaro National Park’s history, visit the official park website.

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