Cactus Forest North
Length (one-way): 1.7 mi (2.8 km)
Elevation Gain: 104.5 ft (31.9 m)
Elevation Loss: 140.1 ft (42.7 m)
This stroll through the cactus forest weaves past all types of desert flora, from saguaros and barrel cactus, to palo verde and creosote. You can begin this 1.7 mile section of the greater Cactus Forest Trail at either the Cactus Forest North Trailhead on the one-way Cactus Forest Loop Drive, or at the Broadway Trailhead. You may occasionally encounter horses, but mostly hikers frequent this trail.
The typical grade, or slope, of the loop is 2.7% with a maximum of 10.9%. The typical cross slope, or grade in the trail side-to-side, is 1.9% with a maximum of 7.7%. This section of trail has a number of stone steps, all less than 8 inches in height and all steps are spaced with at least 48 inch pads between steps. There is one 35 foot section of rut that is 12 inches deep; all other rutted sections of the trail are shallow. The typical width is 40 inches (101.8 centimeters) with a minimum of 20 inches (50.8 centimeters). The trail is mostly firm, packed soil, with brief sections crossing compacted but soft washes. This trail is one of the flatter, less eroded, and wider trails that can be found in the cactus forest.
Cactus Forest Trail
Length (one-way): 2.5 mi (4.02 km)
The name of this trail does exactly what its name indicates, taking you right through the cactus forest and past a plethora of saguaros. It also features some modern history of the park, leading right past the remnants of large kilns used to produce lime. There is a short trial with signage on the old kilns adjacent to the trail, as well as a junction for a wash to take you to Lime Falls, which has water visible after rain. You can start this section of the trail off the Cactus Forest Loop Drive, either from the Cactus Forest North or Cactus Forest South Trailheads. This is one of the multi-use trails in the park, so you will likely come across other hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. The trail consists of hard desert soil, with the exception of three wash crossings that will present soft sand.
The 0.5 mile section trail from the North Trailhead to the Lime Kilns is flat and wide, except for a rut eroded by recent rains not even 0.1 miles from the trailhead. South of the lime kilns to Javelina Wash features elevation gain and loss, no more than 150 feet, with sections being rocky, narrow, and uneven. The section from Javelina Wash to the South Trailhead has minor elevation gain with a consistent wide but rocky trail.
Cactus Forest South
Length: 0.9 mi (1.4 km)
Elevation Gain: 180.7 ft (55.1 m)
Elevation Loss: 96.4 ft (29.4 m)
This trail takes a winding path through the cactus forest and is a quiet escape from the crowds found on other trails, while offering all the same plants and animals. It is the southernmost section of the greater Cactus Forest Trail, accessed using the trailhead on the two-way section of the Cactus Forest loop or at an unmarked pullout along Old Spanish Trail. Though lesser-traveled, you may come across other hikers or horses along the trail.
The typical grade, or slope, of the loop is 5.9% with a maximum of 22.8%. The typical cross slope, or grade in the trail side-to-side, is 2.1% with a maximum of 6.7%.The typical width is 22 inches (57.0 centimeters) with a minimum of 16 inches (40.6 centimeters). The only squeeze point of the trail is a gate on the southernmost terminus which is 48 inches wide. The trail is hard-packed desert ground, but is susceptible to erosion. At the time of the survey, 8 ruts that measured at least 12 feet deep and 16 inches wide were measured, many of which contained tennis-ball sized rocks.
Desert Ecology Trail
Length: 0.25 mi (0.4 km)
Elevation gain: 25.4 ft (78.6 m)
Elevation loss: 26.6 ft (8.1 m)
This quarter of a mile nature trail gives an up-close view of many of the common plants you will find at Saguaro National Park, with accompanying educational signage on the ecology of the Sonoran desert. It is one of two trails in Saguaro East that is constructed to ADA standards as it is paved, wide, and has benches spaced along the trail to take brakes at your convenience. It is located off the Cactus Forest Loop Drive and the parking area is a wide pullout with six standard parking spots and one accessible spot.
The typical grade, or slope, of the loop is 1.8% with a maximum of 4.4%. The typical cross slope, or grade in the trail side-to-side, is 0.5% with a maximum of 1.8%. The width if the trail is 60 inches (152.4 centimeters). The trail is a hard-packed, paved surface accessible to mobility devices. You will encounter mainly hikers, with an occasional dog on leash, as this is one of the few places in the park dogs are allowed.
Freeman Homestead Trail
Length: 0.9 mi (1.4 km)
Elevation gain: 98.4 ft (30 m)
Elevation loss: 97.4 ft (29.7 m)
This trail meanders past a homestead site from the 30s and showcases informational signage along the way. There are great views of the mountains of southern Arizona and the wash attracts a large amount of wildlife. Most of the year there is no water on this trail, but the wash and trees often provide shady spots to take breaks, which is hard to come by on many other trails. The trail is fairly easy to follow, but social trails also abound so pay attention particularly in the section of wash, using rocks or metal posts with directional arrows to indicate where the trail continues. You should only encounter hikers on this trail.
The typical grade, or slope, of the loop is 4.3% with a maximum of 27.9 %. The typical cross slope, or grade in the trail side-to-side, is 3.2 % with a maximum of 19.1%. The trail gradually drops into a wash with a series of stone steps varying in height from 3 to 6 inches with a handful of larger steps. There are 12 sets of steps with a maximum step height of 12 inches, although this height is certainly an outlier. The minimum pad length is 30 inches, although this, too is an outlier. Another series of steps leads out of the wash and back onto hardpacked soil.
The typical width is 31 inches (79.3 centimeters) with a minimum of 3 inches (7.6 centimeters). Most of the trail consists of hard desert ground, but 0.2 miles of the trail is in a soft, sandy wash.
Garwood Dam Trail
Length (one-way): 1.9 mi (3.1 km)
Elevation gain: 484.4 ft (147 m)
Elevation loss: 98.2 ft (29.9 m)
This trail takes you right through the cactus forest, in and out of several washes, up to the historic Garwood dam built in the middle of the 20th century. There are several routes to get to the Garwood dam, the most direct (and route surveyed) starts at the Douglas Spring Trailhead and takes the Douglas Spring trail to Garwood Trail, then up Carillo Trail to the dam. While horses are allowed on this trail, it is much more likely you will come across other hikers and birders making use of our network of trails through the park.
The typical grade, or slope, of the loop is 5.7 % with a maximum of 28.4 %. The typical cross slope, or grade in the trail side-to-side, is 2.8 % with a maximum of 16.4 %. The steep grades lead to heavily eroded, rocky sections and deep ruts. There are 15 ruts on this trail that are deeper than 12”, totaling just under 700 feet. There are also a handful of steps, some cut into the rutted sections. The tallest step is 15” and the shortest pad width, determined by the rut on either side is 15”. The pad lengths can be as short as 18”. The typical width is 28 inches (71.6 centimeters) with a minimum of 18 inches (45.7 centimeters). The trail is mostly along hard desert floor, with sections of softer sand.
Mica View Trail
Length (one way): 0.7 mi (1.1 km)
Elevation Gain: 55.0 ft (16.77 m)
Elevation Loss: 7.4 ft (2.26 m)
One of our more popular trails that takes you up-close to saguaro of many different shapes and sizes, other desert flora, and stunning views of Mica Mountain, the highest peak of Saguaro National Park. It is one of the trails constructed to ADA standards, being wide, flat, and a paved surface. You can start the trail from within the park at the Mica View picnic area or from Broadway Trailhead. You are likely to come across many other hikers and leashed dogs, as this is one of our pet-friendly trails.
The typical grade, or slope, of the loop is 1.8% with a maximum of 7.5%. The typical cross slope, or grade in the trail side-to-side, is 0.9% with a maximum of 2.2%. The width is consistently 60 inches (152.4 centimeters). The trail is a paved surface, completely firm and comparable to asphalt. This trail is a common out-and-back, but it is regularly combined with the Cactus Forest Trail and Mica View South to make a 2 mile loop.
Pink Hill Trail
Length (one-way): 1.5 mi (2.5 km)
Elevation Gain: 216.5 ft (66.0 m)
Elevation Loss: 83.4 ft (25.42 m)
This trail winds through the cactus forest, ending with a climb to the top of a hill that has clear views in all directions and is composed of pink soil, hence the name. Starting at the Broadway Trailhead and heading east on the Shantz trail will connect to the Pink Hill trail, leading you to the spur trail up the hill. Most commonly you will find hikers on this trail, but you may also encounter equestrian users.
The typical grade, or slope, of the loop is 3.7% with a maximum of 12.6%. The typical cross slope of the trail side-to-side is 1.9% with a maximum of 7.0%. While there are almost two dozen staircases totaling around 500 steps, most of these steps are very short, with height of the steps typically in the 2-6 inch range. The last 200 feet leading up to pink hill has tall, tightly spaced steps. The tallest step is 12 inches with a handful of 10 inch steps and average pad lengths of 3 feet.
The typical width is 24 inches (61.7 centimeters) with a minimum of 16 inches (40.6 centimeters). There is a gate at the parking lot that firmly limits the width of the trail to 43 inches. The trail is mostly firm desert soil, with some short firm but sandy sections. It There are several trail junctions along the way which can be used to make hikes – both loops and out-and-backs – of varying lengths, but those trails were not surveyed and will have different conditions.
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