Short on time and want to know all the top spots to hit while you’re here in Saguaro National Park? 

Here are Shaka Guide’s curated recommendations of what you won’t want to miss, and you can do most, or even all of it, in just one day.

This tour takes you to some of the most scenic hikes, an informative visitor center, a bunch of interesting viewpoints and discovery spots, and through the unmatched grandeur of the Sonoran desert at its best!

SAGUARO WEST

1. Brown Mountain Trail 

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 2 to 3 hours

This lovely loop hike is about 4 miles or 6.5 km, bringing you to the summit of Brown Mountain as well as through some spectacular saguaro cactus forests, with lots of baby saguaros to spot alongside the majestic ones.

It’s exposed, with no shade at all, so you’ll need sun protection and plenty of water to do this one…but it’s worth it!

2. Red Hills Visitor Center 

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 15 minutes

This full-featured national park visitor center has a museum, theater, exhibits, and of course, rangers who can answer your questions. It also has restrooms and is the spot to pay for park entry if you haven’t already done so online. Passes are good for 7 days in either section of the park.

3. Desert Discovery Nature Trail

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 30 mins

This flat, paved nature walk has lots of informative signage and is great for anyone with a stroller or walker who wants to get out of the car.

Get up close to Saguaros for the first time, learn about desert adaptations and survival, and perhaps get a peek at a roadrunner while you’re there.

4. Valley View Overlook Trail

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 15 mins

Just a short hike through the desert brings you to a wide, sweeping view of the western side of the valley, with spectacular saguaro stands on one side and mountain ridges on the other.

It’s a popular place for sunset picture-takers but is beautiful any time of day. 

5. Ezkiminzin Picnic Area

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 30 mins

This site, named in honor of a local Native American chief, is a relaxing place to picnic, with several parking spots and a structure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps that dates back to the 1930s.  

6. Sendero-Esperanza Trailhead and Wassen Peak

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 1.5 hours or more

You could easily spend the whole day hiking here, but most will do a bit of the Sendero-Esperanza trail and turn around.

The intrepid will want to bring plenty of water and some snacks and take it to the Hugh Norris trail, and from there, to Wasson Peak, with incredible views the entire way.

7. Signal Hill Picnic Area

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 40 mins

The Hohokam culture is believed to be the origin of these remarkable petroglyphs, which you can get close to during a short walk on Signal Hill. 

The purpose of these markings scratched into desert varnish, is still a mystery, but they evoke wonder, especially when viewed with the stunning backdrop of the Sonoran Desert behind them. 

8. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 2 to 3 hours

Part zoo, part museum, part botanical garden, part art gallery, there's something for everybody at this unique institution, which is one of Tucson's top attractions.

This place celebrates everything native to Arizona with natural exhibits and well-kept paths through gardens.

Play areas, shows, and more keep the kids entertained as well. About 85% of the Desert Museum is outdoors.

9. Gates Pass Scenic Lookout 

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 15 mins

This winding road is one of the area’s most famous drives and snakes its way through a stunning desert, with beautiful valley views and majestic mountains as you go.

Be cautious around those hairpin curves! Sunset is particularly popular.

This viewpoint is the last stop of the tour on the Tucson Mountain District, or Saguaro West side of the tour.

From here, you can continue west on Gates Pass Road toward Tucson, or go back the way you came towards the Old Tucson movie set, and where the tour began.

SAGUARO EAST

10. Sonoran Desert Overlook

NPS/Kimberly Twardochleb

Approximate time: 5 minutes

The Saguaro East portion of the tour begins past the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center, at the beginning of the Cactus Forest Drive scenic loop.

This is a quick and easy overlook, one of the first along Cactus Forest Drive.

For those that are anxious to get out of the car and take a look around, this is a quick introduction to the area. But if time is short, you can press on.

11. Cactus Forest Overlook

NPS

Approximate time: 5 minutes

Another brief stop is in order at this overlook, which has a much more expansive view of the surrounding saguaro forest.

12. Mica View Picnic Area

NPS

Approximate time: 30 minutes

The Mica View Picnic Area has a few shaded places to enjoy a picnic, but the star is the Mica View Trail.

It's an easy, 1.5-mile round-trip hike through the saguaros. The path is flat, wide, and made of gravel, making this an ADA-accessible trail.

13. Desert Ecology Trailhead

NPS

Approximate time: 15 minutes

This easy, paved trail is under a half mile long and is one more ADA-accessible path through the desert flora.

It doesn't take long to walk through, but you might linger longer to read the interpretive signs or wait on a bench to see what wildlife appears.

14. Loma Verde Trailhead

NPS/Ryan Summers

Approximate time: 1.5 hours

This trailhead is the gateway to a tangle of trails that extend into the desert. But the most popular trip is to do a loop, combining the Loma Verde, Pink Hill, and Squeeze Pen trails. Together, it's about 3.5 miles round trip, through more saguaros, cacti, and small trees.

15. Rincon Mountain Overlook

National Park Service/Alice Wondrak Biel

Approximate time: 5 minutes

This overlook sits at the base of the Rincon Mountain range, with an open view of the desert ecosystem.

16. Javelina Rocks

Ray Bartlett

Approximate time: 15 minutes

Enjoy climbing around these ancient rock formations, which are a window into Saguaro's unique geological history.

This is a particularly good spot for enjoying a sunset, with open views of much of the Cactus Forest Loop area.

17. Freeman Homestead Trail

NPS

Approximate time: 30 minutes

This is an easy, one-mile round-trip hike to what's left of the Freeman family homestead.

There's not much in the way of ruins other than the house's foundations, but it's an enjoyable hike nonetheless.

The trail makes a loop in a densely vegetated area, where wildlife is abundant.

18. Javelina Picnic Area

NPS / Hannah Schwalbe

Approximate time:  2 or more hours

A picnic area with covered tables and a restroom, as well as the Tanque Verde trailhead.

The entire Tanque Verde Trail is over 17 miles long, an adventure that crosses through multiple ecosystems between the saguaro desert and the alpine forest.

Even if you do the first couple of miles, you'll see the saguaros disappear and replaced with scrubland.

Wide open views, nearby mountains, and incredible scenery make this a fitting grand finale to the tour.

After the last stop on the tour, we’ll guide you back to Tucson. If you’re in the area and want to continue exploring, check out the Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway Driving Tour! 

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Ready to take the tour? Check out Shaka Guide's Saguaro National Park Tour!

We hope that we’ve given you all the information you need to make the most of your day. Your vacation is extremely important to us so if you have any questions feel free to reach out at aloha@shakaguide.com.

Ready to visit Saguaro National Park? Here’s everything you need to Know Before You Go! 

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