Saguaro

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Located in southern Arizona, Saguaro National Park preserves the culture, wildlife, and landscape of the Sonoran Desert. In 1920, members of the Natural History Society of the University of Arizona took up the cause of protecting a stand of saguaros. Their dedicated efforts led to the establishment of Saguaro National Monument in 1933. Later re-designated Saguaro National Park, the site’s 92,000 acres are now separated into two districts—the Rincon Mountain District in the east and the Tucson Mountain District in the west. Park visitors stand in awe of the giant saguaro, the tallest cactus in the United States and emblem of the American West. Saguaros produce fruit that is harvested by the Tohono O’odham people, who have lived in the Sonoran Desert for thousands of years and uphold the saguaro as spiritually significant. Beyond the saguaro, the park contains the largest roadless Sky Island in North America, encompassing a wide range of elevations that support biodiversity. Saguaro National Park is a place of cultural, natural, and historical significance, offering visitors the opportunity to interact and connect with this unique landscape, its inhabitants, and its history.