Towering Cacti In the Scorching Arizona Sun
Hiking, exploring, and melting in Saguaro National Park
A lot of US national parks are by their nature quite isolated, and require a bit of a commitment to get to. Of course, I don’t mind this — it’s always worth it to see their unspoiled beauty.
However, there are exceptions, and if you are looking for a park that you can visit as a day trip from a city, look no farther than Saguaro National Park in Arizona, which is only about half an hour from Tucson (I should note though that I only visited the eastern section of the park on this occasion; the western portion is just as close but slightly less accessible in terms of paved roads).
For those of you keeping track, this is my 5th park on my way to hopefully visiting all 63. Previously, I have visited and written stories about Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Indiana Dunes, and Great Sand Dunes.
As usual, I started off at the visitor’s center. I always recommend this as it’s a great way to acquaint yourself with the park and what it has to offer, look at maps, and ask the rangers any questions you might have. At Saguaro’s visitor center, they have a short path outside that gives an overview of various cacti and their traditional uses, which I found fascinating. The Native Americans used them for everything from…
