Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park is located in the state of Arizona. This
park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles
east and 15 miles west of the center of the city of Tucson,
Arizona. The parks total area is 91,440 acres. There is a
visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car
from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either
section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran
Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson
Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The
park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to
the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus,
cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park.
One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the
park part of the year during its migration, together with one
threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.
The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March
1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.
Facilities in the park include 150 miles of well marked and
maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with
interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable
during the hot summer months.
