My first visit to Tucson just so happened to be a volunteer vacation in Saguaro National Park and I instantly fell in love with the Sonoran desert and the saguaro cactus. It only took eight years before I ended up moving to Tucson where I regularly went hiking in Saguaro National Park. It’s a unique national park in that there are two units that are separated by the city of Tucson. If you only have a few days in Tucson, you’ll have to decide if you want to visit Saguaro National Park East or Saguaro National Park West. If you are spending the winter in Tucson as many travelers do, then make plans to hit both units of the park during your stay!
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Saguaro National Park West: Tucson Mountain District
If you only have one or two days in Tucson, I recommend visiting Saguaro National Park West. Not only will you get the most bang for your buck, but the drive over Gates Pass to Kinney Road is incredibly scenic and you’ll be right by the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and Old Tucson. Combining these three Tucson attractions will easily fill up an entire day of your Southern Arizona vacation.
There are two ways to arrive at Saguaro National Park West and I recommend making a loop drive to experience both of them. Coming in from the North through the small town of Picture Rocks, you can make a quick stop at the Signal Hill rest area. This is one of the few places I’ve seen petroglyphs in Southern Arizona so it’s worth the short walk from the parking area.
From here, you can continue on into the National Park area and stop at the visitor center for information. Take the scenic Bajada Loop Drive which is an eight-mile dirt road, although it can be driven by passenger cars, no 4WD necessary.
These are some of my favorite hikes in the Tucson Mountain District: (see map)
- Brown Mountain Trail -a four-mile loop from the Brown Mountain picnic area near the Desert Museum.
- Wasson Peak – eight miles round-trip to the highest point in the Tucson Mountains.
- King Canyon – easy two-mile to petroglyphs. Trail also accesses Wasson Peak.
- Coyote Pass – a nice open trail on the north side of the park, make a loop with nearby trails
Saguaro National Park East: Rincon Mountain District
While the drive to the Rincon District is not as scenic as driving over Gates Pass, I think the loop drive within the park is actually more scenic. Cactus Forest Drive is an eight-mile paved loop through rolling foothills that offers great views, especially at sunset. This was the first place I went when I got a new camera and wanted to try out the settings. An added bonus of visiting the east side is the proximity to Sabino Canyon, one of my favorite places for hiking in Tucson.
These are some of my favorite hikes in the Rincon Mountain District: (see map)
- Garwood Dam – four miles along the Douglas Springs trail brings you to the Garwood Dam.
- Douglas Springs – connecting several trails, you can make a seven-mile loop along Douglas Springs to the Wildhorse Trail.
Saguaro National Park Weather
Obviously, summers in Saguaro National Park are extremely hot and I don’t recommend hiking at all between May and September unless you are getting up and hitting the trailhead before sunrise. Even in early October, the temperatures can still be in the 90s. Winter is really the perfect time to visit Southern Arizona and prime hiking season in the desert. The months of January and February can see overnight lows in the 30s and 40s, with snow possible at higher elevations.
There’s pretty much a 30-degree temperature shift every day, so it can go from 40 to 70, 60 to 90, or 80 to 110 depending on the time of year. With low humidity, even stepping from the sun to the shade can make a huge difference. Layers are important!
Check out my list of hiking essentials and always carry twice as much water as you think you’ll need!
Saguaro National Park Volunteer Vacation
Joining a Sierra Club service trip was my first time experiencing this region. My trip involved a week of trail maintenance in Saguaro National Park. For around $500, Sierra Club provides a campsite, meals, and transportation to the job site each day. Volunteers provide their own camping equipment, transportation to the campground at the beginning and end of the trip, and muscle power for the tasks at hand!
Sierra Club is pretty experienced at running these trips, so everything was well organized. We had two trip leaders plus a camp cook, who provided breakfast, sack lunches and dinner, often made with organic, local ingredients. The week was split between two work sites: one in Saguaro National Park, and the other on nearby county land. It was hard work, and you have to wear long pants and sleeves to keep from getting poked by the cactus. Not to mention lugging our tools in and out from the trail-head each day. We had frequent rest breaks to drink water and find shade. Even in early March, it was pretty hot by mid-day.
Falling asleep each night to the sound of coyotes was an awesome experience. I would absolutely consider another Sierra Club service trip. Check out the list of offerings – there is quite a wide variety of trips, from restoring historical sites in Philadelphia to wildlife encounters in Hawaii.
Saguaro National Park Camping
There are six backcountry camping sites in the Rincon unit and no camping in the Tucson Mountain District. However, during my volunteer vacation, we camped at the Gilbert Ray campground, near the Western Unit of Saguaro National Park. There are several commercial campgrounds in Tucson, including the largest KOA I’ve ever seen. There are also several campgrounds in the Catalina National Forest along the Catalina Highway on Mount Lemmon.
Hotels Near Saguaro National Park
Choosing a hotel near Saguaro National Park is tricky, but fortunately, Tucson sits right between the park units, so choosing a central location means you won’t be too far from one or the other. However, if you have a preference, here are some recommendations:
- Hotels near Saguaro National Park East – Tanque Verde Ranch, Hilton Tucson East, Loews Ventana Canyon
- Hotels near Saguaro National Park West – JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort
Click here for my ultimate guide of over 50 things to do in Tucson!
Nearby National Park Service Sites
If you’re looking to make the most of your National Parks pass, there are several other sites managed by the National Park Service near Tucson, including:
- Tumacacori National Historic Site
- Chiricahua National Monument
- Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (one of several places to see ruins in Arizona!)
- Ironwood Forest National Monument
That soinds like so much fun.. and add to it the stunning landscape.. omg paradise !
For sure…I can’t wait to go back next winter!
Wow thank you sharing. I have never heard about this place before but it looks and sounds very nice! I also enjoy volunteering so camping and volunteering sound super interesting!
You’re welcome! It’s also a great way to stretch your travel budget 🙂
I would love to do something like this and had no idea Sierra Club offered them. Thanks for sharing!
Anytime, thanks for stopping by!
We so love camping trips and this sounds like a lot of fun! Happy to check the Park out if we’re ever in the area!
You definitely should! Stick around for sunset if you can 🙂
This is a great idea. I majored in environmental science in college, so i have always loved the idea of going on vacation and giving back with a great organization like the Sierra Club. And camping in the desert sounds like an amazing time. Thanks for sharing!
You should definitely check it out! The American Hiking Society also has a ton of volunteer trips.
https://americanhiking.org/
I heard the desert is magical! Holland doesn’t have any but I am looking forward to my trip to Namibia this year and finally see the endless deserts myself. Your little tent looks really comfortable and cosy 🙂
Ooh, Namibia looks amazing!
That landscape is gorgeous! I love camping! I spent two weeks camping in western Canada and it was marvelous! Thanks for sharing!
I love Canada – I bet that was fantastic!
What a great way to experience the desert – a perfect way to get back to nature and give back to the environment through volunteering!
Yes, and it was a great way to stretch my travel budget a little bit!
Sounds like a cool experience! Where are you camping next?!
I don’t know yet, but I’m sure I’ll make at least one trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula this year!
I’ve never camped so kuddos to you for doing it for a week straight! This does seem like a fun yet rewarding vacation to take! Maybe one day when I’m an experienced camper, I’ll consider this trip 🙂
Camping is definitely not for everyone…I totally get that!
This looks like a really fun trip. I haven’t done much camping but camping in the desert sounds great! I love the look of the landscape and that you had to plan to avoid cactus pricks!
Desert camping can be pretty sweet, if it’s not too hot. The nights are usually nice and cool, though, unlike the humid Midwest!
A wonderful way to give back and also camp in Saguaro National Park. By telling your experience this will encourage others to help out the Sierra Club and keep our National Parks clean. How exciting to also hike Mt. Wilson. Great photos and thanks for sharing 🙂 #weekendwanderlust
Thanks for stopping by!
Sounds great! I would like to do something like this in the future. I have heard about the Sierra trips in California’s Parks but have never dig deeper. By the way, I love Saguaro! It is a great park! #WeekendWanderlust
It’s a nice way to stretch your travel budget and do some hard work, which is a nice change from cubicle life!
What a great idea! Growing up as a Boy Scout in the Tucson area, I spent some time doing service projects in Saguaro National Monument, too. It definitely left me with a love of the desert. Spring is a good time to be there, too, when the cacti bloom. Beautiful! It’s been a long time since we’ve been there…a Sierra Club volunteer week seems like a great reason to return! – Rob.
Ocotillo in bloom is my favorite!
Great post; and I love your photos! Saguaro NM is one of our favorite spots to visit – in the winter. It’s just a short drive from us, and a great place to enjoy the Sonoran Desert – we love Tucson, too ;).
The desert really is a special place…I can’t wait for winter to get here!
The mountains and desert must be an awesome place for photography. The volunteer vacation sounds like and interesting way to be one with nature.
Arizona is one of fav states to travel. Well Written.