The Tuscon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park has a lot of really great trails.  If you’re heading to the park, make sure you start with the Desert Discovery Nature Trail.  

Parking

The trailhead is located just past the Red Hills Visitor Center.  If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the visitor center before going to the trailhead.  Always worth it to get information and maps before exploring the park.  Then, head to the parking area for the trail.  Be advised that there are only 7 parking spaces available which makes this an extremely small lot.  Thankfully, the trail doesn’t take very long so vehicles are coming and going quickly.  Exercise some patience and you should get a parking space.

The Trail

Once you’re out on the trail, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that this is an all ability trail for your entire crew.  It is 0.4 miles, flat, and paved.  As you hike along the trail, you’ll come across information signs that really help introduce what you’ll be seeing throughout your entire time at the park.  We’re always looking to learn names and purposes for plants and wildlife.  It always makes exploring more enjoyable.

We loved spotting all the different cacti arms on this trail and tried to see how many different ones we could count.  We found one saguaro with 11 arms!  You could tell it had been a part of the landscape for a very long time.  Although this is a short trail that should only take you less than 30 minutes, it’s a perfect starting point in the park so don’t miss this hike.

Consider the Wonders is a travel blog intended for entertainment purposes only. We are not RV, travel, or hiking experts and are not making recommendations.  These are our opinions and you should do your own research and make your own decisions.

Consider the Wonders is not affiliated with Saguaro National Park or the National Park Service.

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