Towering Cacti In the Scorching Arizona Sun

Summary

The article discusses a visit to Saguaro National Park in Arizona, highlighting its accessibility, the impressive age and utility of its cacti, the extreme heat, and its designation as an Urban Night Sky Place.

Abstract

The author recounts their experience exploring the eastern section of Saguaro National Park, which is noted for its proximity to Tucson and its impressive saguaro cacti. The park is praised for its visitor center, which provides educational insights into the traditional uses of cacti by Native Americans and the importance of cacti for local wildlife. Despite the park's beauty, the author cautions against visiting during the summer due to extreme temperatures, suggesting early morning hikes and proper hydration. The scenic drive and short trails are recommended for visitors, with the author emphasizing the appreciation of small details within the park's vast landscape. The article concludes by noting the park's significant achievement of being classified as an Urban Night Sky Place, one of only eight in the world.

Opinions

The author finds the park's unspoiled beauty worth the effort to visit, even though it may be less accessible than other national parks.
The author is fascinated by the historical uses of cacti by Native Americans, suggesting a deep appreciation for the cultural significance of the park's flora.
The extreme heat is seen as a major drawback, with the author advising against summer visits and emphasizing the importance of timing and hydration for comfort and safety.
The author is impressed by the age of the saguaro cacti, particularly noting a cactus that was over 100 years old.
The author recommends the park's scenic drive and short trails, indicating these are suitable for a range of visitors.
The designation of Saguaro National Park as an Urban Night Sky Place is viewed as a significant accolade, making it a unique destination for stargazers.

Hiking, exploring, and melting in Saguaro National Park

Photo by Author

A lot of US national parks are by their nature quite isolated, and require a bit of a commitment to get to. Of course, I don’t mind this — it’s always worth it to see their unspoiled beauty.

However, there are exceptions, and if you are looking for a park that you can visit as a day trip from a city, look no farther than Saguaro National Park in Arizona, which is only about half an hour from Tucson (I should note though that I only visited the eastern section of the park on this occasion; the western portion is just as close but slightly less accessible in terms of paved roads).

For those of you keeping track, this is my 5th park on my way to hopefully visiting all 63. Previously, I have visited and written stories about Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Indiana Dunes, and Great Sand Dunes.

As usual, I started off at the visitor’s center. I always recommend this as it’s a great way to acquaint yourself with the park and what it has to offer, look at maps, and ask the rangers any questions you might have. At Saguaro’s visitor center, they have a short path outside that gives an overview of various cacti and their traditional uses, which I found fascinating. The Native Americans used them for everything from food to medicine to building materials. And of course, the wildlife that live in the desert depend on the cacti for food and shelter, too.

Photo by Author

While there are a wide variety of cacti that can be seen throughout the park, the most prominent is (unsurprisingly) the park’s namesake. They are more like trees than cacti, and can live for an extremely long time. The one in the photo above was over 100 years old!

Now, as interesting as Saguaro National Park is, I will say that it has one major drawback — it is HOT. Personally, I would strongly advise against visiting in the summer, or even early autumn. I was there in October, and even then the temperatures were around 100 degrees Fahrenheit with scorching sun. Maybe it isn’t always quite that extreme — I did hear that it was one of their warmest falls on record — but even so, just be aware that if you are there during warmer months, it’s best to do your hiking earlier in the day (and drink plenty of water). Otherwise, you’ll probably feel like you’re in an oven all day long.

Photo by Author

After checking out the visitor’s center, I began the eight-mile scenic drive around the park. It has frequent pullouts, almost all of which I stopped at to see the views. Some of the stops also have hiking trails. I did two short hikes — the Desert Ecology Trail and the Freeman Homestead Trail — but there are longer and more challenging hikes as well if you’re feeling up to it and can brave the heat.

Photo by Author

If you visit, do make sure to take your time and notice the small details around you, too. It can be easy to look around and feel overwhelmed by the barren quality, the vastness of it — but there’s a lot of beauty in the little things. For example, I was struck by the colorful fruit on this prickly pear, which is not only pretty but life-sustaining for many of the park’s animal inhabitants:

Photo by Author

About a month after I visited Saguaro NP, I heard that they had been classified as an Urban Night Sky Place. There are only eight others in the world, so this is quite a big deal. Sadly, I hadn’t stayed in the park past daylight hours, but I still thought it was pretty cool that they had gotten that certification — and a good reason to revisit someday!