If you’re looking for a quick, easy cactus experience when you get to Saguaro National Park, look no further than the Red Hills Visitor Center (West). From the visitor center you will find a pleasant walk through the cactus gardens as well as a short jaunt through Javelina Wash.
How to Get to the Cactus Gardens and Javelina Wash:
The cactus gardens are located right by the parking lot at the Red Hills Visitor Center. 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!
Javelina Wash begins right at the end of the Cactus Garden. It goes behind the visitor center and offers some different perspectives and landscapes of the area.
What You Will See:
On this short, easy, level hike (more like a walk!) you will find cactus, cactus, and more cactus! There are lots of signs around the cactus garden that point out different types of cactus as well as other plans and animals that live in the area. There are plenty of benches to rest at and the path is very flat and easy to walk. Beware that there are cactus near the edges of the path so make sure to keep little ones close and remind them (often) to not go near a cactus!
Javelina Wash is located right behind the visitor center and can be accessed right at the end of the cactus garden path. On this path, you will hike through a wash and see some different kinds of cactus and landscapes than you saw in the cactus garden. There can be javelinas there (hence the name) so make sure that you watch out for them. They can be pretty mean!
Sum Up:
Visiting the cactus garden and Javelina Wash at the Red Hills Visitor Center is a great first stop on your trip to Saguaro. You can get a really good lay of the land, see lots of different types of cactus and other plants, and it is a really quick way to stretch your legs and take a break before heading to your next adventure.
