Saguaro National Park, Arizona

[marty]

Hi all,

my wife and I are heading to Arizona this year. One place we are looking to hit is Saguaro National Park, outside Tucson. Am looking for the following information:

• Which side of the park do you like better - West or East?
• Do you have any recommended dayhikes?

Many thanks!
Marty

 

[roadtripper]

You probably already have this on your radar, but definitely climb Wasson Peak (western district). There are several routes, but Hugh Norris Trail is the most popular route.

The American Southwest website has great trail info on both sections of Saguaro.
http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/saguaro/national_park.html
http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/saguaro/hiking-west.html
http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/saguaro/hiking-east.html

This book is excellent (I have a copy if you want to borrow it)
http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Arizon...6509432&sr=8-1&keywords=hiking+cactus+country

Where else are you headed?

~ We loved Picacho Peak between Tucson and Phoenix. It is challenging hike like Angels Landing of Zion though - some cables and steep sections to scramble up.
~ Camelback Mountain in Phoenix is a must-do in my opinion. Only 2-3 miles round-trip, although finding parking can be challenging.
~ Lost Dutchman State Park east of Phoenix is also great, especially in the late afternoon. Scramble up the Flatiron.
~ Chiricahua National Monument is worth the detour and has several excellent hiking trails
~ Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a great museum. Catch one of the daily eagle/hawk flight shows.
~ been to Sedona yet? Only 2 hours north of Phoenix

Lastly, try to eat here. Some of the best mexican food on the planet.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/mi-casa-restaurant-benson

 

[marty]

You probably already have this on your radar, but definitely climb Wasson Peak (western district). There are several routes, but Hugh Norris Trail is the most popular route.

The American Southwest website has great trail info on both sections of Saguaro.
http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/saguaro/national_park.html
http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/saguaro/hiking-west.html
http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/saguaro/hiking-east.html

This book is excellent (I have a copy if you want to borrow it)
http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Arizon...6509432&sr=8-1&keywords=hiking+cactus+country

Where else are you headed?

~ We loved Picacho Peak between Tucson and Phoenix. It is challenging hike like Angels Landing of Zion though - some cables and steep sections to scramble up.
~ Camelback Mountain in Phoenix is a must-do in my opinion. Only 2-3 miles round-trip, although finding parking can be challenging.
~ Lost Dutchman State Park east of Phoenix is also great, especially in the late afternoon. Scramble up the Flatiron.
~ Chiricahua National Monument is worth the detour and has several excellent hiking trails
~ Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a great museum. Catch one of the daily eagle/hawk flight shows.
~ been to Sedona yet? Only 2 hours north of Phoenix

Lastly, try to eat here. Some of the best mexican food on the planet.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/mi-casa-restaurant-benson

Greg,

as usual, you live up to your VFTT name Thanks for the great information. We will be staying around greater Phoenix. A trip to Sedona is a definite. Camelback may be on the horizon, but I am more likely going to do a couple hikes in the nearby McDowell Sonoran Preserve, as they are supposed to be a bit less crowded. Will have to check out your other suggestions, including the restaurant!

Hope you are well.

Thanks again,
Marty

 

[roadtripper]

I hear good things about McDowell Sonoran Preserve, but haven't been yet. Next time while in AZ, hopefully!

Have you been to Sedona? If not, then:
#1 hike in Sedona = Oak Creek Canyon / West Fork...but only if you continue upstream in the actual river for 0.75 miles after the official land-based trail ends.
#2 hike in Sedona = Wilson Mountain
#3 hike in Sedona = Devil's Bridge
#4 hike in Sedona = scramble up the side of Bell Rock (class III scrambling)

Great wineries in Sedona/Cottonwood area as well. We liked Page Springs Cellars.

Also head to Prescott and enjoy that small town + Watson Lake (kayaking) + Peavine Trail (bike riding / rail trail).

I have a few guidebooks to all this if you want to borrow them.

 

[roadtripper]

One more thing - this BBQ restaurant in Phoenix was just voted the best restaurant in the United States by Yelp. Probably worth a try (or for every meal)

https://www.yelp.com/biz/little-miss-bbq-phoenix-2

 

[Stan]

I don't know how much time you're planning to spend in the area but I expect that any time you spend will make you want to go back and if that's possible I think you'd like to sample various areas to determine what to focus on next. If so, here are highlights as we passed through southern Arizona heading to San Diego. Note that in addition to hikes, we also seek a historical connection as well so when we visited Chiricahua NM we stopped first at Fort Bowie, where there are a couple nice walks where, if you listen carefully, you might hear echos of Geronimo's last war cries. That night we spent at the Grand Bisbee Hotel and there's a good selection of restaurants in town.

We stayed a couple nights in Tuscon and spent more time in Saguaro East than West but Sabino Canyon is good and there was a shuttle so an end to end is possible. This was the middle of March '12 andt we didn't bring winter gear so hiking Mt. Lemmon was not inviting as it still had lots of snow and ski season was just wrapping up.

We did some nature hikes in Saguaro West but spent so much time in Old Tuscon Studio, an old stage set for westerns, that we didn't get to one of our destinations, Wasson Peak. We needed to keep moving west and spent the night in Gila Bend but somehow found plenty of time for Notel near the tracks. A friendly bunch of ordnance disposal guys from South Carolina described their search and destruction of unexploded ordnance out in the desert at an old AF base but the edge was taken off by their grim discoveries of the bodies of children fleeing across the border ... the call for the next round came none to soon.

Our route east was across northern Arizona where we spent some time hiking around the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, a good time to be there but there was some snow and ice in shady areas making for a few interesting spots on the edge of the Rim Trail. Again, only a couple days there as we headed to Monument Valley, Hovenweep NM, Durango and points east ... highlighted by watching Kentucky and Louisville in March Madness semi finals at a bar in Lexington, Ky ... now that was as exhilarating and treacherous as many hikes!

 

[marty]

Many thanks Stan and thanks again Greg.

Best regards,
Marty

 

[Paul_Bear]

I agree with the recommendation of the west side for best hikes and also the best cacti. The cactus forest in the eastern part of the part was largely killed by cold weather some years ago ... it's regenerating but isn't nearly as impressive as the west side.

Hugh Norris trail was great ... super scenic right from the start ... gets better and better as you traverse the ridge top

As mentioned, Chiricahua National Monument is about 2 hours to the east. You could spend a day or two hiking this very scenic park. It has a convenient hiker shuttle that takes you the viewpoint at the top and then you can do a variety of trails to work your way back down to the visitor center.

Two hours to the west is Organ Pipe National Monument which is also super nice with a variety of hiking options.

 

[Daniel Eagan]

Not sure how much time you have, but for immediate gratification the west side is more accessible. My wife and I have hiked in Tucson for several years. Our favorite hike is Wrightson from Madera Canyon south of Tucson. Just under 10,000 feet, a few good route options. We generally stick with the Old Baldy Trail (11 miles, about 4000 ft. elev. gain). Weather dependent (snow and ice can be deep).

To the north, our favorite hike is Mt. Kimball from Sabino Canyon. We usually use the Finger Rock Trail (10 miles, 4000 elev. gain).

From the east, we love the Tanque Verde Ridge, which we've taken to Juniper Basin. (14 miles, about 3000 ft. elev. gain.) The east part of the park has a nice drive through several different desert areas; it's great if you can rent a bike.

These are (for us at least) all-day hikes that take you from the desert to "sky island" climates, so you see a wide variety of plants and wildlife.

In Saguaro Park West, Wasson is the main summit. Hugh Norris trail will get you there and back in under four hours, leaving plenty of time for the Arizona–Sonora Desert Museum, which is worth a visit. Hugh Norris isn't very demanding; we like combining the Sweetwater Trail from Camino del Cerro, which meets up with the King Canyon Trail, and catch the Hugh Norris from there. Start early enough and part of that will be in the shade, plus it's a more diverse route than Hugh Norris.

We've been up to Mount Lemmon by car, it's an amazing drive but too long a hike for us to do in a day. However, there's a small community called Summerhaven up there which has a nice loop out into views of the Wilderness of Rock.

Happy to provide more info.

 

[marty]

thanks again, folks!

Marty

 

[Mike P.]

Heading to the Sedona area & Yosemite this summer.