About 2 miles down the road from the Desert Museum is the Saguaro National Park Visitors Center.
I know this is odd, but there are two Saguaro National Parks - East & West. In between is Metropolitan Tucson. If you only have time to visit one, go West.

Pictured here is an unusual rainy day in April. Most Tucsonans wish we had a few more rainy days. Six inches in spring and six inches during the monsoon season is supposed to be normal. We haven't had normal in years. We have family living in the Northwest. They just laugh when we talk about our drought. They say they will send us all the water we're willing to pay for.

Suggestion: get directions and a map at the visitors center. Then head out to explore the most exquisite desert in the world.
Picnic at the Signal Hill picnic area and walk 1/4 mile to the top of the hill to photograph your party with the petroglyphs, thousand-year-old Hohokam images. DO NOT TOUCH THEM, PLEASE!

Then drive the back roads through the Saguaro Forest to Picture Rock Road and head back to Tucson. A lovely day trip in the great out-of-doors. Click here to see the route.
Visitor's Center: 2700 N. Kinney Rd. Visit the Website

For a list of the Best Park and Gardens visit our page.