Saguaro National Park, Desert national park near Tucson, United States.
Saguaro National Park is a desert reserve in Arizona that spreads across two separate areas east and west of Tucson. The landscape shows dense clusters of tall cacti between rocky hills and sandy plains.
The region was established as a national monument in 1933 to protect the cacti from disappearing. More than six decades later, the area received national park status in 1994.
The name comes from the Spanish word for the cacti that often grow taller than 50 feet here and became the most important plant in the region. Hikers today can see birds nesting in the arms of the cacti and explore the desert in the morning.
The two areas lie roughly an hour apart by car, so it helps to plan a full day for the visit. Trails run through flat and hilly sections, with sturdy shoes and plenty of water being important.
The rocks in the western part formed through volcanic eruptions many millions of years ago. In the eastern part, layers of stone can be found that are among the oldest on Earth and more than a billion years old.
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