Exploring Saguaro National Park West
This past weekend I spent some time at Saguaro National Park West because I have an upcoming listing nearby and wanted to re-familiarize myself with the area. Even though I grew up in Tucson, I’ve admittedly only been to the East and West locations of Saguaro National Park a handful of times. Maybe it’s just my little bubble, but it seems to me that it’s one of those places that locals spend some time exploring, but not nearly enough. If I’m right, why’s that the case?
Having spent some time living in Southern California, I’m fully aware of just how popular Joshua Tree National Park is. Everyone loves Joshua Tree and I went there myself two or three times over the course of a few years. But when I was at Saguaro National Park this past weekend I thought to myself…”wait, this is just as cool, if not cooler, than Joshua Tree. Why isn’t it more well known?”
The truth is Joshua Tree has a lot going for itself. It’s located off of a highly trafficked portion of I-10; close to Palm Springs, a few hours from Los Angeles, and neighboring the biggest music festival in North America, Coachella. Saguaro National Park, on the other hand, is split into two sections nearly 45 minutes from each other and located in a far less populated region than our SoCal counterpart. In spite of these setbacks, Saguaro National Park has something very special that other parks don’t… saguaros!
While saguaro cactuses are everywhere in pop culture and associated with desert regions in general, they only exist in the Sonoran Desert. Tucson is known for our lush desert (sorry Phoenix, we’ve got you beat in that regard) and Saguaro National Park is truly one of, if not the best place to see these giant spectacles.
These are just a few of the many interesting facts about saguaro cactus:
Slow Growing: Saguaros grow at an incredibly slow pace, taking around 10 years to reach just 1 inch in height. And because they grow so slowly, it can take 50 to 75 years to grow their first arm!
Size: These magnificent cacti can grow to be between 40-60 feet tall and weigh between 3200 to 4800 pounds when fully hydrated. The tallest recorded saguaro was 78 ft tall, but unfortunately it collapsed in 1986
Staying Hydrated: Saguaros have a remarkable ability to store water, which allows them to survive in the arid desert environment. Their accordion-like pleats, which expand and contract as they store and use water, help them adapt to changing conditions
Lifespan: They’re known to live a long time, with an average lifespan 150 - 175, sometimes reaching over 200 years old
While I can’t say much yet about my upcoming listing (coming soon 5/15 and live on the market 5/22) what I will say is that its proximity to Saguaro National Park West makes it a wonderful short term rental, year round home, or seasonal destination for snowbirds. My recent adventures nearby have made me crave more time in the desert, especially while the cactuses are still blooming and the palo verde trees are vibrant yellow. Even though it doesn’t have the same logistics going for it, I think Saguaro National Park could be as popular as Joshua Tree and I hope that it is one day.
Check out my short video on Saguaro National Park and stay tuned for my upcoming listing!
