Saguaro National Park
Forests of the giant cactus that only grows in the Sonoran Desert, on both sides of Tucson.
- 106named trails
- 212trail miles mapped
- Arizonalocation
Popular hikes in Saguaro
- Desert Discovery Nature Trail · about 0.5 mi · Easy
- Signal Hill Petroglyphs · about 0.5 mi · Easy
- Valley View Overlook · about 0.8 mi · Easy
- Cactus Forest Loop · about 2.5 mi · Easy
- Freeman Homestead · about 1 mi · Easy
- Douglas Spring · about 5.9 mi · Moderate
- Tanque Verde Ridge · about 6.4 mi · Strenuous
- Wasson Peak · about 7.9 mi · Strenuous
- Hugh Norris Trail · about 9.8 mi · Strenuous
Best months to visit
- January: Tucson's winter is the payoff for its summers: sunny, mid-60s days on trails that hit triple digits in June. The giant saguaros are the same year-round, but you can climb among them all day without heat stress.
- February: Another sunny, mild month in the Sonoran Desert, before spring crowds. It's ideal for the long climbs to Wasson Peak or up the Rincons.
- March: Desert wildflowers peak in March and early April after winter rain, with poppies, lupine and brittlebush below the saguaros. Days sit in the 70s.
- December: Sunny winter hiking in the 60s. The desert is quiet in early December before holiday visitors arrive.
Permits and reservations
We found no timed entry or entry reservation system.
- Backcountry camping permit: Reservations are required for backcountry camping, and permits are on Recreation.gov at $8 per campsite per night.
Entrance fees
- Private Vehicle: $25
- Per Person: $15
- Motorcycle: $20
Official park site: nps.gov
All 106 trails in Saguaro
- Abington Trail · 2.06 mi round trip · Easy
- Animal Wash Trail · 1.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Bajada Vista Trail · 1.32 mi round trip · Easy
- Bajada Wash Trail (east section) · 1.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Bajada Wash Trail (west section) · 4.14 mi round trip · Easy
- Belmont Trail · 1.32 mi round trip · Easy
- Bonita Trail · 1.38 mi round trip · Easy
- Bridal Wreath Falls Trail · 0.64 mi round trip · Easy
- Brittlebush Trail · 2.68 mi round trip · Easy
- Cactus Canyon Trail · 1.84 mi round trip · Easy
- Cactus Forest Trail · 10.56 mi round trip · Moderate
- Cactus Wren Trail · 3.64 mi round trip · Easy
- Cam Boh Trail · 4.64 mi round trip · Easy
- Carrillo Trail · 6.44 mi round trip · Moderate
- Cholla Trail · 1.4 mi round trip · Easy
- Converse Trail · 1.2 mi round trip · Easy
- Cowhead Saddle Trail · 7.88 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Coyote Pass Trail · 1.54 mi round trip · Easy
- Creosote Trail · 1.2 mi round trip · Easy
- Deer Valley Trail · 0.9 mi round trip · Easy
- Deer Valley Wash Trail · 0.74 mi round trip · Easy
- Deerhead Spring Trail · 2.26 mi round trip · Easy
- Desert Discovery Trail · 0.5 mi round trip · Easy
- Desert Ecology Trail · 0.52 mi round trip · Easy
- Desert Winds Trail · 2.58 mi round trip · Easy
- Devil's Bathtub Trail · 2.4 mi round trip · Easy
- Dobe Wash Trail · 2.78 mi round trip · Easy
- Douglas Spring Trail · 20.72 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- East Slope Trail · 1.36 mi round trip · Easy
- Encinas Trail · 6.96 mi round trip · Moderate
- Ernie's Falls Trail · 1.1 mi round trip · Easy
- Fire Loop Trail · 8.4 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Freeman Homestead Trail · 1.82 mi round trip · Easy
- Garwood Trail · 3.04 mi round trip · Easy
- Gila Monster Mine Trail · 1.54 mi round trip · Easy
- Gila Monster Trail · 1.28 mi round trip · Easy
- Golden Gate Rd Multi-use Trail · 5.08 mi round trip · Moderate
- Gould Mine Trail · 2.24 mi round trip · Easy
- Happy Valley Lookout Trail · 0.36 mi round trip · Easy
- Heartbreak Ridge Trail (northwest section) · 11.38 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Heartbreak Ridge Trail (southeast section) · 0.28 mi round trip · Easy
- Hope Camp Trail · 7.16 mi round trip · Easy
- Hugh Norris Big Loop · 6.75 mi loop · Strenuous
- Hugh Norris Trail · 9.64 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Ironwood Forest Trail · 2.78 mi round trip · Easy
- Italian Spring Trail · 4.3 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Italian Spring Trail #95 · 4.28 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Javelina East Wash Trail · 1.26 mi round trip · Easy
- Javelina Wash Trail · 3.86 mi round trip · Easy
- Javelina West Wash Trail · 4.58 mi round trip · Easy
- Kennedy Trail · 0.9 mi round trip · Easy
- King Canyon / Gould Mine Loop · 14.84 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- King Canyon Trail · 6.38 mi round trip · Strenuous
- King Canyon Wash Trail · 1.74 mi round trip · Easy
- Lime Falls Trail · 0.68 mi round trip · Easy
- Loma Verde Trail · 4.28 mi round trip · Easy
- Loma Verde Wash Trail · 3.28 mi round trip · Easy
- Mam-A-Gah Picnic Trail · 0.44 mi round trip · Easy
- Manning Camp Trail · 18.5 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Manville Trail · 4.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Mesquite Trail · 1.94 mi round trip · Easy
- Mica Meadow Trail · 1.08 mi round trip · Easy
- Mica Mountain Trail · 2.5 mi round trip · Moderate
- Mica View Trail · 1.84 mi round trip · Easy
- Miller Creek Trail · 7.32 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Monument Wash Trail · 4.5 mi round trip · Easy
- Mule Deer Trail · 0.6 mi round trip · Easy
- North Coyote Wash Trail · 3.3 mi round trip · Easy
- North Slope Trail · 4.6 mi round trip · Moderate
- Packrat Trail · 0.8 mi round trip · Easy
- Panther Peak Wash Trail · 3.76 mi round trip · Easy
- Passey Loop Trail · 3.12 mi round trip · Easy
- Picture Rocks Wash Trail · 5.16 mi round trip · Moderate
- Pink Hill Trail · 3.52 mi round trip · Easy
- Prophecy Wash Trail · 3.56 mi round trip · Easy
- Quilter Trail · 9.54 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Ridge View Trail · 2.18 mi round trip · Easy
- Rincon Creek Trail · 14.8 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Rincon Peak Trail · 6.6 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Ringtail Trail · 2.1 mi round trip · Easy
- Roadrunner Trail · 2.32 mi round trip · Easy
- Ruiz Trail · 4.72 mi round trip · Moderate
- Safford Peak Trail · 2.3 mi round trip · Moderate
- Scenic Trail · 1.5 mi round trip · Easy
- Sendero Esperanza Trail · 6.36 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Shantz Trail · 9.84 mi round trip · Moderate
- Signal Hill Trail · 0.5 mi round trip · Easy
- Spud Rock Camp Trail · 0.5 mi round trip · Easy
- Spud Rock Trail · 0.76 mi round trip · Easy
- Squeeze Pen Trail · 4.5 mi round trip · Easy
- Stock Bypass Trail (east section) · 1 mi round trip · Easy
- Stock Bypass Trail (west section) · 0.26 mi round trip · Easy
- Sus Picnic Area Trail · 0.2 mi round trip · Easy
- Sweetwater Trail · 6.78 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Switchback Trail · 0.74 mi round trip · Easy
- Tanque Verde Ridge Trail · 22.32 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Three Tank Trail · 4.32 mi round trip · Moderate
- Thunderbird Trail · 3.72 mi round trip · Moderate
- Turkey Creek Trail · 9.84 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Valley View Trail · 0.86 mi round trip · Easy
- Vanover Trail · 3.48 mi round trip · Easy
- Vertical Cliffs Trail · 3.64 mi round trip · Easy
- Veteran's Trail · 1.54 mi round trip · Easy
- Visitor Center Trail · 0.28 mi round trip · Easy
- Wild Dog Trail · 1.8 mi round trip · Easy
- Wildhorse Trail · 4.36 mi round trip · Moderate
Trailbound shows every one of these on an interactive map with live weather, park alerts and elevation profiles. It's free to browse.