On our first full day in the Tuscon Mountain (west) District of Saguaro National Park, we decided to do a day hike to Wasson Peak, the highest point in that district, at 4,687 feet. When we left for the hike at 8:30 a.m., it was already HOT. We wished we had left earlier. But there was no turning back, since we were only there for a week. Multiple trails go to Wasson Peak, but we chose to go via King Canyon…
There are no car campgrounds in Saguaro National Park. It’s unfortunate, but thankfully there is one close by. Gilbert Ray Campground is inside Tucson Mountain Park, which is run by Pima County. It’s adjacent to the southern border of the similarly named Tucson Mountain District (that’s the west district) of Saguaro National Park. The campground is only 3 miles away from Saguaro NP, so it’s practically part of the park. We used it as our basecamp for the time we…
As a teacher, I’m always ready for a vacation by the time spring break rolls around. Since it’s only a week, we usually plan on a park that we can really explore in that time frame. In 2017, we ditched a chilly, windy April in DC for a week in Tucson. It felt pretty good as we left the airport and felt the arid climate for the first time. We headed to Gilbert Ray Campground to check in for our…
When you think about our national parks, Saguaro probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Unless you live in Tucson, Arizona, since the park straddles the city. Established in 1933 as a National Monument, and upgraded in 1994 to a National Park, Saguaro was formed to protect its namesake – the Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). Pronounced Sa-WAH-ro, the cacti grow very slowly, but can get as tall as 40 feet and live for more than 150 years…