Our March 2018 trip to California continued with a stop at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona. Since our time was limited, we chose to visit the Rincon Mountain District of the park. This section of the park is located east of Tucson. It is accessible from Interstate 10 exit 275 for northbound travelers and Interstate 10 exit 267 for southbound travelers.
We drove the paved eight mile one-way Cactus Forest Loop Drive in late afternoon. The numerous pullouts along the route provided plenty of opportunities for us to get out of the vehicle, stretch our legs, and enjoy the park in a more intimate manner.
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| Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) |
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| Prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii) and teddybear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) |
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| Jumping cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida) |
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| An animal trail passes through the cactus |
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| Tanque Verde Ridge, Rincon Mountains |
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| Saguaros dominate the valley floor |
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| Add caption |
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| Rain in the Santa Catalina Mountains |
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| A cactus forest |
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| Saguaro on the ridge |
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| Buckhorn cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa) |
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| Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) |
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| The bright flowers of an ocotillo |
Entrance to Saguaro National Park requires an entry fee of $15 per vehicle. Any of the America the Beautiful passes may be used instead.
The park website is https://www.nps.gov/sagu.
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