Freeman Homestead Trail - Saguaro National Park

We concluded our March 2018 visit to Saguaro National Park with a hike of the Freeman Homestead Nature Trail. To reach the trail head from the visitor center, turn right after the entrance kiosk and drive 1.2 miles south on the two-way section of Cactus Forest Loop Road before turning right onto the Javelina Picnic Area Road. Continue 0.2 miles to the trail head parking area on the right. The paved parking area for the one-mile loop trail consists of one handicap placarded location and seven locations for standard passenger vehicles.

The trail surface consists of gravel and dirt. Numerous steps are encountered when descending into the wash and ascending back to the parking area.

Topographic map with GPS route

Santa Catalina Mountains obscured by rain and fog

Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia engelmannii)

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) and a spear (armless) saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)
with the Tucson Mountains on the horizon

Saguaro towers over creosote bushes (Larrea tridentata)

Far side of the wash is a 40 foot high bluff

Jumping Cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida)

Prickly pear, creosote bush, palo verde, and saguaro

Saguaro with "ripples"

Rain in the distance

Tucson Mountains

Part of the wilderness area of the park

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.

Desert Ecology Trail - Saguaro National Park

The Desert Ecology Trail is a 0.3 mile paved loop trail in Saguaro National Park. A paved parking area for the trail is located on the right side of the road about 2.4 miles around the Cactus Forest Loop Drive from the entrance station. Parking is available for six passenger vehicles, one handicap placarded vehicle, and one RV. The trail is located across the road. We walked the trail during our March 2018 visit to the park.

Typical trail conditions

Prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii)

Blue Paloverde (Parkinsonia florida)

Arizona Pencil Cholla (Cylindropuntia arbuscula)

Closeup of Arizona pencil cholla fruit

A single saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) rises above the creosote bushes (Larrea tridentata)

Cloudy skies over the Sonoran desert

Four-armed saguaro

The trail crosses Javelina Wash at grade

Three amigos

A saguaro arm beginning to form

Buckhorn cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa)

Buckhorn cholla fruit

Candy Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni)

Closeup of candy barrel cactus fruit

Multiple armed saguaro

Saguaros from below

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.

Cactus Forest Loop Drive - Saguaro National Park

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.

Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

Prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii) and teddybear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii)

Jumping cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida)

An animal trail passes through the cactus

Tanque Verde Ridge, Rincon Mountains

Saguaros dominate the valley floor

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Rain in the Santa Catalina Mountains

A cactus forest

Saguaro on the ridge

Buckhorn cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa)

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)

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.

Freeman Homestead Nature Trail - Saguaro National Park

Our final stop at Saguaro National Park during our May 2015 trip to the Southwest was a one-mile loop hike on the Freeman Homestead Nature Trail back in the Rincon Mountain (East) District. To reach the trailhead, turn right onto the two-way portion of Cactus Forest Drive just past the fee station. Keep right at the only intersection to head toward the Javelina Picnic Area. Paved pull-in parking is located just off the right side of the road. Total distance from the fee station is 1.4 miles.

The trail is named after Safford Freeman who was granted 640 acres under the Homestead Act to farm, graze or mine. He built a three room adobe house, outbuildings and a well in the early 1930s. The National Park Service purchased the homestead in the early 1950s. All of the buildings were subsequently removed.

There are numerous stair steps on the trail as it dips down about 150 feet to a wash and then climbs back up toward the parking area. The only shade on the trail is provided by a Tamarisk or salt cedar at the homestead site. Tamarisk is an invasive species and is often removed by the park. Since this one does not reproduce, it has been left by the park service as part of the homestead site. A couple of benches under the Tamarisk provide the only place to sit along the trail. Carry and drink plenty of water. Although we didn't see any, watch for snakes and other venomous wildlife and stay away from beehives and swarms of bees.

Topographic map with GPS hiking route

The trail and an interpretive sign near the trailhead

Keep right at the beginning of the loop

Saguaro in bloom

Lizard crossing the trail

Prickly Pear flowers

Saguaros cover the wash and hillside

More Saguaro flowers

Chain-fruit or Jumping Cholla

Staghorn Cholla

Outstretched arms

The trail has numerous steps

The fibrous remains of a Saguaro

Broken arms

Freeman Homestead site

Two benches under a Tamarisk planted by the homesteader

A hard freeze most likely caused the drooping arm of this Saguaro

After leaving the homestead, the trail narrows as it dips down into the wash

Saguaro and mesquite

Saguaro buds with a couple of flowers

View of the Rincon Mountains from the trail

A small bluff defines the far edge of the wash

Saguaros stand tall above the landscape

Life abounds where there is even occasional water

The trail heads up the wide wash

A row of rocks keep visitors on the trail

Creosote bushes line the trail

Wildflowers along the trail

The trail heads up the wash again

Buckhorn Cholla

Directional signs point out the trail

Continuing up the wash

Saguaros dot the landscape

Steps climbing up from the wash

More steps

Still more steps!

Looking west across the Tucson Basin

Even more steps??

Back to the trail junction

Santa Catalina Mountains

An entrance fee of $5 per person or $10 per private vehicle is required to enter Saguaro National Park. The fee is valid for seven days and allows entrance to both the Tucson Mountain District (West) and the Rincon Mountain District (East). Other options include a Saguaro National Park Annual Pass for $25, an Interagency Annual Pass providing access to most national park, national forest and BLM fee areas for $80 and a lifetime Interagency Senior Pass for those age 62 and older for $10.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm.