Saguaro National Park wasn’t on our radar of places to visit. In fact, we didn’t even know it existed. We were heading across the country to San Diego and after driving all day we decided to park it at a Walmart in Tuscon Arizona around midnight. On the way to the Walmart we noticed the National Park signs and after a little research, it turns out it was right around 5 miles from us!

So I decided I was going to unhook the truck and head on over for sunrise while Danielle and Ella slept in a little bit. There are two sections to the park and I went to the East section in the Rincon Mountains.

I’ve never been let down by a National Park. They always seem to awe me in some way and Saguaro was no exception. Although it’s not grand like some of the other National Parks like Yosemite, it sure is unique. It’s home to the largest cacti in the world and they are EVERYWHERE.

What I found especially neat about this place is that you can enjoy the perks of this place in a short amount of time. There’s a short drive that takes you right through the heart of the park and has a lot of pull off spots to park and explore any of the countless trails.

As is usually the case on a cold weekday early in the morning, I had the entire park to myself. It was nice to be able to explore on my own and enjoy the uninterrupted sounds of nature.

Don’t get distracted looking at the scenic vistas and forget to watch where you’re walking. It wouldn’t be a very fun time to get stuck with one of these cacti because you walked into it.

This picture doesn’t do justice to how big these ears really are. 

There’s a large trail system throughout the park that range from short hikes to all day treks. 

There are so many Saguaro Cacti here. They go on as far as you can see!