Nature/Hiking

Saguaro National Park

A national park near Tucson in two separate halves, the Rincon Mountain District in the east and the Tucson Mountain District in the west, each with its own visitor center, driving loop and desert trails.

Typical visit

Ages

Booking

Price

Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, or $15 per person arriving on foot or by bicycle.

Ticket covers

One entrance fee is valid for 7 days in both the Tucson Mountain District (west) and the Rincon Mountain District (east).

What's included

A vehicle pass covers the driver and all passengers, and every ranger program is free once you have paid entrance.

Payment

The park does not accept cash, so plan to pay cashless.

Food

There are no restaurants, snack or soda machines or concession stands in either district.

Parking

There is no RV parking in the Rincon Mountain District (east) or on the loop in the Tucson Mountain District (west).

OUR FAMILY ASSESSMENT

Family Intelligence

Saguaro was founded as a national park in 1994 and is really two places: the Rincon Mountain District (east) and the Tucson Mountain District (west). Each has its own visitor center, the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center and the Red Hills Visitor Center, with restrooms, water fountains, maps, ranger programs, staff, hiking trails and a driving loop, so either half works as a day on its own; one entrance fee covers both. The thing to plan around is food. In support of a Reduce, Reuse, Refill project, there are no restaurants, snack or soda machines or concession stands in either district, so whatever the family eats and drinks beyond the fountains comes with you. Picnic areas cannot be reserved and are first come, first served.

Family FAQ

How much does Saguaro National Park cost?

Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, or $15 per person arriving on foot or by bicycle.

Is there parking at Saguaro National Park?

There is no RV parking in the Rincon Mountain District (east) or on the loop in the Tucson Mountain District (west).

Why kids will love it

Children can join the ranger programs, which the park runs at no extra charge on top of the entrance fee, and children under 16 arriving on foot or by bicycle do not need a pass of their own. For families with a wheelchair, the park names three trails as accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act: the Desert Ecology Trail and Mica View Trail in the east, and the Desert Discovery Trail in the west.