Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Audio Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1

  Nice 4 mile loop hike that summits Brown Mountain, a lower hill that's just outside Saguaro National Park.

  2 hours • Admission ticket free
• 2

  This visitor center is a wealth of information about the west side of Saguaro National Park, the TMD. There are also good restrooms, a museum, activities, a gift shop, and a theatre. Park entrance fee per vehicle good for 7 Days

  10 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 3

  An interpretive trail near the park entrance that is paved, flat, and easy for strollers or wheelchairs. The 0.4 mile loop may have flowers and birds, as well as reptiles.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4

  A 0.8 mile trail that leads to an impressive overlook above a large expanse of virgin Sonoran desert, with mountains in the background.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 5

  A placid picnic spot with vault toilets and nice desert views.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6

  This trail offers a stunning route to reach Mt. Wassen, the highest point of the TMD. Along the way one can see saguaros and other desert plants, as well as possibly wildlife as well, reptiles, birds, and possibly mammals, like jackrabbits and javalinas, or even mountain lions.

  1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 7

  Stunning Hohokam culture petroglyphs with a backdrop of desert and mountains behind.

  35 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 8

  Part zoo, part museum, part botanical garden, part art gallery, there's something for everybody at this unique institution, which is one of Tucson's top attractions. This place celebrates everything native to Arizona with natural exhibits and well-kept paths through gardens. Play areas, shows, and more keep the kids entertained as well. About 85% of the Desert Museum is outdoors.

  2 hours • Admission ticket free
• 9

  A stunning scenic overlook of vast desert, with parking and stone structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 10

  The Saguaro East portion of the tour begins past the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center, at the beginning of the Cactus Forest Drive scenic loop. This is a quick and easy overlook, one of the first along Cactus Forest Drive. For those that are anxious to get out of the car and take a look around, this is a quick introduction to the area. But if time is short, you can press on.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 11

  Another brief stop is in order at this overlook, which has a much more expansive view of the surrounding saguaro forest.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 12

  The Mica View Picnic Area has a few shaded places to enjoy a picnic, but the star is the Mica View Trail. It's an easy, 1.5 mile round trip hike through the saguaros. The path is flat, wide, and made of gravel, making this an ADA-accessible trail.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 13

  This easy, paved trail is under a half mile long, and is one more ADA-accessible path through the desert flora. It doesn't take long to walk through, but you might linger longer to read the interpretive signs, or wait on a bench to see what wildlife appears.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 14

  This trailhead is the gateway to a tangle of trails that extend into the desert. But the most popular trip is to do a loop, combining the Loma Verde, Pink Hill, and Squeeze Pen trails. Together, it's about 3.5 miles round trip, through more saguaros, cacti, and small trees.

  1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 15

  This overlook sits at the base of the Rincon Mountain range, with an open view of the desert ecosystem.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 16

  Enjoy climbing around these ancient rock formations, which are a window into Saguaro's unique geological history. This is a particularly good spot for enjoying a sunset, with open views of much of the Cactus Forest Loop area.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 17

  This is an easy, one mile round trip hike to what's left of the Freeman family homestead. There's not much in the way of ruins other than the house's foundations, but it's an enjoyable hike nonetheless. The trail makes a loop in a densely vegetated area, where wildlife is abundant.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 18

  A picnic area with covered tables and a restroom, as well as the Tanque Verde trailhead. The entire Tanque Verde Trail is over 17 miles long, an adventure that crosses through multiple ecosystems between saguaro desert to alpine forest. Even if you do the first couple miles, you'll see the saguaros disappear and replaced with scrubland. Wide open views, nearby mountains, and incredible scenery make this a fitting grand finale to the tour.

  2 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Get Started Easily: • Book Your Tour: Receive a confirmation and easy instructions via email. • Download the App: Follow the simple steps in your email. • Redeem the Tour: Use the redeem code in your email to redeem the tour in the app. • Prepare Ahead: Download the tour using strong Wi-Fi.

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