A butte is a striking rock formation, defined as an isolated steep hill with often vertical sides and a flat top. It was time for us to hike to one in Canyonlands National Park. Aztec Butte is a 1.6-mile out and back that leads to the top of a butte, with a side trail to see some Puebloan ruins. We were particularly looking forward to the archeological features of the area. The drive to the Aztec Butte trailhead was only…
The desert was kind of a new experience for us. It had been a long time since either of us had hiked in it. Kristin went in with a bit of trepidation, and she ended up loving the park. So you never know what you’ll find. And Saguaro National Park definitely surprised us as we explored. Not really knowing what to expect, and going in with no expectations. Here were our favorite spots in the park, as well as some tips for visiting. We hope they help you plan your trip…
Our intention was to visit as much of Saguaro National Park as we could. Crisscrossing desert trails in the northwest corner of the Rincon Mountain (east) District are known as the Cactus Forest. We wanted to hike somewhere up there, so we reserved a full day for it. Our initial plan was to do a longer loop, but we were exhausted after backpacking to Manning Camp, so we decided on a shorter hike. A ranger at the Rincon Visitor Center recommended a 4.0 mile out-and-back on Garwood Trail…
On our second to last day in Saguaro, we went to a “Star Party” at the Rincon Visitor Center. We like astronomy, planets, and stars, so we made sure to go. Before going outside to stargaze, the ranger at the visitor center gave us a rundown on the history of the park. He explained how the park was created by President Herbert Hoover as a National Monument. The ranger then said, “The park has a lot of diversity, not just the desert environment, but also the Rincon Mountains at 8,000 feet. Up there is Manning Camp, but nobody really goes there.” We sat there feeling slightly miffed, but also smug, because we had been at Manning Camp just two days before…
Choice is a good thing. But with so many trails to choose from, researching ahead of time doesn’t always paint a clear picture of which trails are worth our time. On our last day in the Tucson Mountain (west) district, we only had a half-day, since we planned to drive to Benson, AZ to begin a backpacking trip the following day. With a limited amount of time, and only an inkling of which trail we wanted to do, we went…
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…
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…