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The west side of Saguaro National Park in Tucson, AZ is more crowded than the east, but that’s because there’s a lot to see.
This is my itinerary for one day at Saguaro National Park West. Gorgeous trails, petroglyphs, a visit to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, capped off with a stunning sunset.
Walk the Desert Discovery Trail
The Desert Discovery Trail is an easy .5 mile paved trail that’s a great introduction to the park.
This trail is short, flat, and paved, making it an easy walk with some amazing cacti. There are also interpretive signs, so it’s a great place to start your day.
Drive the Bajada Loop
This 6 mile unpaved loop takes you through the park and past Signal Hill which I talk about below. It’s a gravel road and was not a problem at all in my rental car. There are places you can stop to hike or see sites.
Hike Signal Hill – see the petroglyphs
There’s a nice picnic area here and a short trail that takes you to the Signal Hills Petroglyph site. There are over 200 prehistoric Native American petroglyphs, many of which can be seen from the trail.
Planning a trip to Saguaro National Park
I was headed to Saguaro to hike the trails so I needed a good map. I went with the Saguaro National Park map from National Geographic Trails. It covered the east and west sides of the park and was clear and easy to read – a must-have for planning a hiking trip to Saguaro National Park!
Hike King Canyon Wash / Gould Mine Trail with lunch at Mam-A-Gah
This is a beautiful trail and not many people on it when I was there. It’s about 3 miles round trip. You go up one trail and down the other. At the top is a remote picnic area. Because it’s a bit of a trek to get there, it’s not busy – I had the place to myself.
Visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
This is not part of the park but worth a visit. It’s part botanical garden and part zoo. You can see some of the wildlife found in the area – mountain lions, javelina, and more. Plus great information on the ecology of the desert as well as lots of desert plants. I enjoyed learning the names of many of the cactus and other plants I’d seen in the park.
Sunset in Saguaro National Park from the Desert Discovery Trail
I ended the day in the park where I started it – back on the Desert Discovery Trail. It’s a stunning spot for desert sunsets. Stand on the paved trail and get yourself set up where the sun will cast its last golden rays silhouetting the saguaro cacti. Breathtaking!
Saguaro National Park day 2 itinerary – Saguaro West
- Hike Desert Discovery Trail
- Drive Bajada Loop
- Hike Signal Hill Picnic area – see the petroglyphs
- Hike King Canyon Wash/Gould Mine Trail
- Lunch at Mam-A-Gah along the trail
- Afternoon: Arizona Sonora Desert Museum (outside the park)
- Sunset in park at Desert Discovery Trail
Want details on Saguaro East?
Read about Hiking Saguaro National Park East – Rincon Mountain District. Get more details about the hikes, along with pictures and a video!