SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK
A symbol of the American west, the Saguaro Cactus only grows naturally in the Sonoran desert and is found and protected in Saguaro National Park. The park has two areas to the east and west of Tucson in Southern Arizona.
A stop on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historical Trail, the western Tucson Mountain District is home to the popular Signal Hill Trail that leads to the petroglyphs of the ancient Hohokam people. Desert sunsets, coyotes, deer, tortoises, rabbits, and quail are common in the desert scrubland.
In the higher elevation Rincon Mountain area of the park, you can see black bears, Mexican Spotted Owls, and white-tailed deer. This area is more woodland and pine forest. Javelina, bobcats, and mountain lions also reside in the park but are harder to spot. Besides the saguaro cactus, the park is also home to the fishhook barrel cactus, staghorn, teddy bear, jumping cholla cactus, pink flower hedgehog, and prickly pear cactus.
Saguaro National Park was initially created as a National Monument on March 1, 1933, and on October 14, 1994, was elevated to National Park status.
For more information call (520) 733-5100 or visit www.NPS.gov/sagu.
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