It’s no secret that I like to see rock art, I find the drawings of prehistoric people to be fascinating. So when I heard there was an easy hike to see some petroglyphs while we were in Saguaro National Park I knew we had to do it.
How to Get to Signal Hill Picnic Area
The trail to see the petroglyphs begins at the Signal Hill Picnic Area. This is located in the Tuscon Mountain District. Remember that Saguaro National Park is separated (by the city of Tuscon) into two districts. They are the Rincon Mountain District (East Side) and the Tuscon Mountain District (West Side). When you navigate using GPS make sure you are going to the right district!
Signal Hill is located on the Bajada Loop drive. If you dan’t want to drive the whole loop you can turn off on to Golden Gate Road from the main road leading in to the park, Sandario Road. If you want to drive the whole loop you need to start on Hohokam Road because there is a one way portion of that road. Hohokam Road is just off of Kinney Road, that leads to the Visitor Center.
The entire Bajada Loop is unpaved, but passable by passenger vehicles. If you don’t like a bumpy ride you might want to opt for going straight to Signal Hill on Golden Gate Road, but you will miss a lot of the scenery along the drive.
Finding the Trail Head
Once we arrived at the picnic area we had a little trouble finding the trail head. There are actually two paths that will get you on to the trail. One leaves from the top of the parking lot near the garbage cans, the other follows behind the restrooms and eventually joins the parking lot path. Just make sure you get on the path and don’t go wandering across the desert!
Be aware that on busy days the parking lots at trail heads along the scenic drive can fill up, the earlier you arrive the better your chances of getting a spot.
What You Will See at Signal Hill Petroglyphs
This is a very short hike at just .3 mile round trip. But most of that is uphill, since the petroglyphs are at the top of a hill (hence the name Signal Hill). It is a hill though and not a mountain, so it really isn’t hard. Meagan was pregnant when we did it and Lucy was 3 years old.
You can see some of the petroglyphs from the base of the hill as you walk towards it. Then you follow the trail in a half spiral up to the top of the hill where you can see the petroglyphs on the back side of the rocks. There are display panels up on top of the hill as well.
Sum Up
The Signal Hill Petroglyphs are well worth the visit if you are on the west side (Tuscon Mountain) of Saguaro National Park. This trail is definitely not accessible to wheel chairs or strollers, but should be fine for everyone else. It is conveniently located at a picnic area, so it is also a great place to have your lunch. Pit toilets are located at the picnic area.
