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Saguaro National Park (p. 4)
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West Section
Saguaro's other section, known as the Tucson Mountain District, contains 104 square miles of mountain and desert and is located several miles to the west of Tucson. The southern entrance to this section is shown below. This is a drier and lower section than the Rincon Mountain District.
One of the major distinguishing features of the western section is the thicker stands of saguaro cactus. These saguaro stands are the densest in the world. This section was not subject to the pressures of grazing and other factors which caused a decline in the saguaro population in the eastern district.
The western section of the park provides a more complete study of the lifespan of the saguaro.
Although the saguaro stands are thicker, the vegetation in general is more sparse in the western section.
The stark and sometimes fantastic shapes of the mature saguaro represent the archetypical images of the American west in the minds of many people.
The Tucson Mountains occupy the eastern portion of this district and loom above the saguaro desert.
King Canyon runs into the Tucson Mountains in the southern portion of the park. The picture below looks west from the King Canyon Trail across the Avra Valley 35 miles to the west of the park. King Canyon is the only place in the western section of the park where a permanent spring can be found.
The Tucson Mountain District contains the beautiful Red Hills Visitor Center, which provide books, maps, and other information about the park. In the shot below the rear of this building which looks out across the desert floor toward the Tucson Mountain Range.
The area around the visitor center provides excellent view of the dry, rocky mountains in this section of the park.
Sunsets in the western section can be quite beautiful, looking out across the Avra Valley toward the other mountain range visible there.
Mountains of the West
The Tucson Mountains occupy the eastern portion of this section of the park. Although not as high as the Rincon Mountains of the eastern section they are volcanic in origin and fairly jagged. They are also very dry. These mountains can be seen in the background below.
A closeup of a mountain in the west section shows how dry, rocky, and rugged the peaks of these mountains are.
This rocky outcropping is visible from the Bajada Loop (described below).
Standing apart from the other peaks and ridges of the Tucson Mountain Range is Apache Peak at 3076 feet. It is one of the most scenic features of the Tucson Mountain District.
The highest mountain in the western section of the park is Wasson Peak at 4,687 feet. This picture is taken looking south from the Golden Gate Road.
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- All photographs ©Patrick Holleran, Shannon Technologies, 1994-2010
- Commercial use of the images contained in this document without express written consent is strictly prohibited.
- Comments and other remarks can be sent via e-mail to parkvision@shannontech.com
