- State: AZ
- NPCA Region: Southwest
- Est. Date: 1994
Air Quality Conditions
View the Polluted Parks ReportVisibility
Unsatisfactory
Health
Unsatisfactory
Nature
Significant Concern
Climate Change Threats
It’s the iconic image of the American Southwest: The giant saguaro cactus, standing tall amid the arid desert, arms perpetually raised to the sky. At Saguaro National Park, you can see more than 1.6 million of these giant saguaro — the largest forest of its kind on the planet.
The park is divided into two separate and distinct units on either side of Tucson. The Tucson Mountain District to the west of the city features desert grasslands, desert shrubs and a variety of wildlife; the Rincon Mountain District to the east offers higher elevation vistas and conifer forests climbing the hillsides.
The King of the Sonoran Desert
A saguaro can live for more than 200 years, grow to more than 50 feet tall and weigh more than 6 tons.
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Magazine Article
Poetry in Place
With a series of poetic park installations and a new anthology, the U.S. poet laureate hopes to remind visitors and readers of their stake in the natural world.
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Magazine Article
Killer on the Road
Cars helped make national parks America’s most beloved landscapes — and wreaked havoc on wildlife. What will it take to repair the damage?
My Park Story
Greetings from Saguaro National Park
Bittersweet are my memories of this day. As we get ready to embark on a beautiful trek into the scenic beauty of Arizona for a night under the stars, my uncle snapped this picture of me at the trailhead. This was a trip my Dad and I had planned for…
More about Saguaro
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Read more about A Thorny Question
Magazine Article A Thorny Question Why some saguaros grow more arms than others — and why it matters.
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Read more about The Rise of the National Park Mascots
Blog Post The Rise of the National Park Mascots From Major Muskrat to Sunny Saguaro, human-sized mascots help national parks attract new visitors and convey important messages about wildlife and safety.
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Read more about Trump Infrastructure Proposal Could Devastate Public Lands
Blog Post Trump Infrastructure Proposal Could Devastate Public Lands NPCA outlines 5 of the most dangerous elements in the Trump administration’s infrastructure proposal and examples of how they could affect national parks.
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Read more about What Happens When the Saguaros Disappear?
Blog Post What Happens When the Saguaros Disappear? If the climate continues to warm, weird weather patterns and invasive grasses could wipe out an icon of the American Southwest.
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Read more about Staff Picks: 11 Spectacular Roads for Riding Your Bike
Blog Post Staff Picks: 11 Spectacular Roads for Riding Your Bike From leisurely rides to challenging climbs, national parks offer riding opportunities for cyclists of all abilities. Check out top recommendations and advice from NPCA enthusiasts on where to go and what to see.
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Read more about A Yogi’s Guide to the National Parks
Blog Post A Yogi’s Guide to the National Parks Experiencing America’s natural wonders in 9 poses
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Read more about Polluted Parks: How Dirty Air is Harming America’s National Parks
Report Polluted Parks: How Dirty Air is Harming America’s National Parks “Polluted Parks” graded the pollution-related damage in the 48 national parks required by the Clean Air Act to have the highest possible air quality.
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Read more about Best Available Retrofit Technology at the Cholla Power Plant
Letter Best Available Retrofit Technology at the Cholla Power Plant On behalf of National Parks Conservation Association and Sierra Club, Earthjustice respectfully submits the following comments regarding the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ) proposed Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) “reassessment” for the Cholla Power Plant.
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Read more about Beyond Yellowstone: 8 Unexpected Parks for Wildlife-Watching
Blog Post Beyond Yellowstone: 8 Unexpected Parks for Wildlife-Watching If you want to see wildlife, it’s hard to beat some of the largest, most popular parks in the country: Yellowstone, Glacier, Denali, Olympic, Great Smoky Mountains, and the Everglades are all winning choices. But what if you’ve already explored those parks and want to try something new—or just want to avoid the crowds? Here are eight less-visited parks that offer excellent and varied wildlife-watching opportunities.
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Read more about Wild American Beauty: 10 Wilderness Areas to Explore
Blog Post Wild American Beauty: 10 Wilderness Areas to Explore Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act by exploring some of America’s wildest places, from remote windswept tundras to cactus-dotted mountains to serene rock-strewn beaches. Several spots are surprisingly close to major cities.
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Read more about The 8,000-Year Park
Blog Post The 8,000-Year Park NPCA released its Clean Air Timeline today showing how long it will take for 10 national parks to return to natural air quality conditions. One park is missing from the timeline, though—a park that measures way off the chart.
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Read more about Four Tons of Buffelgrass No Match for Hard-Working Volunteers
Blog Post Four Tons of Buffelgrass No Match for Hard-Working Volunteers A team of dedicated workers fights back against a ubiquitous plant that is taking over precious desert landscapes.
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