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Saguaro National Park (p. 2)
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East Section
The park is composed of two distinct "districts" located on the east and west sides of Tucson, approximately 20 miles apart. The larger (99 square mile) eastern section is known as the "Rincon Mountain District" after the large mountain range which occupies much of its eastern area. Some of the desert lowlands can be seen in the pictures below.
The eastern section is surrounded by mountains on the north, and the Rincons and Tanque Verde Ridge on the east. A view of the mountains can be seen across the desert below. The park provides excellent examples of the desert scrub community of the Sonora Desert environment.
The desert in the eastern section is a little higher and wetter than the western section, and as a result the plant life is thicker. The desert scrub include mesquite, creosote bush, and several types of cactus.
There are plenty of saguaros in this part of the park but they are not as thick as they once were here, or as thick as can be found in the western section. The saguaro grows best on bajadas, slopes of rock which have been washed down from the mountains.
However, there are some fairly large specimens here. The eastern section of the park truly provides a view of old growth saguaro cactus.
In addition to the saguaro, many other plants, including prickly pear, ocotillo, and cholla cactus can be found in this part of the park.
This picture looks northwest across the Rincon Mountain District. As can be seen in the middle of the picture, the forces of development are beginning to encroach near the borders of the national park.
Although the desert is relatively flat west of Tanque Verde Ridge, there are some places where rock outcroppings can be found among the cactus.
Although it is a desert environment, there is plenty of life in the Sonora Desert. The desert contains about 2700 plant species, some of which can be see in the picture below in the late evening light.
This scene was found along the Tanque Verde Trail as it climbs into the Rincon Mountains. The vegetation along the trail changes as it climbs.The trail leads from the basin all the way to the highest altitudes in the park.
Looking down from the foothills of the Rincon Mountains provides views of the desert in the Rincon Mountain District and the city of Tucson.
The eastern section is largely roadless and mostly wilderness. However, there is an 8 mile loop known as the Cactus Forest Drive which passes through the desert near the visitor center. This is one of the most popular areas in the park because of its accessibility and also because it provides views of so many different kinds of desert life.
The road also provides outstanding views of the mountains to the north and to the east of this flat section of the park where it adjoins the Coronado National Forest.
This section of the park provides many examples of the various features of the desert environment. Although it rains infrequently in the desert, at times the heavens open and a great deal of water runs across the landscape. The water is channeled into washes, such as the one shown below.
The visitor center in the East Section is quite nice with the usual features including books, maps, and other information materials, movies, exhibits, and of course rangers who can provide advice on visiting the park.
To the north and west of the building there is a nature trail with displays and information about desert vegetation.
As evening falls in the desert the rocks and vegetation begin to take on a warmer color.
Evening in the desert is something special. It is a time when the many animals who have been avoiding the heat of midday come out to search for food. Sunset can also be quite beautiful, especially when the silhouettes of the saguaros can be seen.
This view below look west across the Santa Cruz Valley where Tucson is located. Some of the lights of the city can be seen in the center of the picture. Saguaro is one of the closest of our national parks to a major city.
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- All photographs ©Patrick Holleran, Shannon Technologies, 1994-2008
- 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
