Saguaro NP abounds in sunset/rise trails

Sunset at Saguaro National Park

At Saguaro National Park, the dusty desert air can make for fantastic sunsets while the clear crisp morning air delivers equally excellent sunrises. A silhouetted saguaro or mountain adds to the magic of any photo taken at dawn or dusk.

Some top trails to see sunsets and sunrises include:

Desert Winds Trail
On the far west side of Tucson Mountain (West) district, the Desert Winds Trail is an unparalleled destination for adventurous hikers. The 1.8-mile trail starts at trailhead A-2 and traverses the park’s far-western desert flats. It is a great opportunity to witness the beautiful sunset over a majestic cacti backdrop – the saguaro cacti that thrive in this region are particularly stunning at sunset.

Hugh Norris Trail
Day hikers can enjoy beautiful Arizona sunsets on this 7.7-mile round trip trail in the park’s western Tucson Mountain district. Sunsets generally are better in the park’s western than eastern section, as mountains and city lights tend to degrade the latter’s view of the sky. The reverse is true for sunrises. Getting high on a ridgeline, which the Hugh Norris traverses, offers the best views. Though the trail can be taken to Wasson Peak, the highest point in the western section, the hike here describes the trail to just Amole Peak, the second tallest summit on the ridge. The higher Wasson Peak behind you nicely blocks the glow of Tucson’s lights, and going to Amole means less walking in the dark after the sun sets. The trailhead is off of the gravel Hohokam Road.

Javelina Rocks
The half-billion-year-old Javelina Rocks is a great spot to watch sunsets. The outcroppings rise above the desert floor, allowing you to see the setting sun’s long shadows across the saguaros. A trailhead for the rocks is off of Cactus Forest Drive in the eastern Rincon Mountain (East) district. Get there early to ensure you have a parking space and time to climb one of the two larger outcroppings, which offer more solitude.

Sweetwater Trail
Hiking the Sweetwater Trail in the Tucson Mountain (West) district is a great way to take in the beautiful views and explore the amazing wildlife of Saguaro National Park. Starting from the West end of Camino del Cerro, this 6.8 mile out and back trail follows a ravine for much of its 3.4 miles before reaching an elevation change of 950 feet. Once at the ridge, hikers can continue toward King Canyon Trail junction for an additional 2.3 miles if desired. The east-facing slopes make it a great spot for taking gorgeous photographs of the sunrise. Those wishing to tackle this adventure should be prepared with appropriate gear and plenty of water.

Tanque Verde Ridge Trail
Great views of the sun setting over the Tucson basin await along the ridge of and summit of Tanque Peak. The trail can be hiked to 9 miles (one-way) on the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail all the way to the 7040 feet in the park’s in the Rincon Mountain (East) district. Even if not going to the summit, carry flashlights for the dark hike back. The trailhead is at the Javelina Picnic Area off of Cactus Forest Drive.

Valley View Overlook Trail
Located in the Tucson Mountain (West) district is a great place to watch beautiful sunsets. The small parking lot is perfect for the twilight show, as it offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, which boasts one of the park’s highest densities of saguaro cactus. It’s a great spot for families with small children, as the 0.8-mile round trip trail is flat and easy to traverse.

Gorgeous sunsets await on Saguaro NP trail

A sunset colors the sky on the Hugh Norris Trail at Saguaro National Park.

Day hikers can enjoy beautiful Arizona

sunsets on the Hugh Norris Trail at Saguaro National Park.

The 7.7-mile round trip trail sits in the park’s western Tucson Mountains district. Sunsets generally are better in the park’s western than eastern section, as mountains and city lights tend to degrade the latter’s

view of the sky.

Getting high on a ridgeline, which the Hugh Norris traverses, offers the best views. Though the trail can be taken to Wasson Peak, the highest point in the western section, the hike here describes the trail to just Amole Peak. Though the second highest summit on the ridge, the higher Wasson Peak behind you nicely blocks the glow of Tucson’s lights – and going to Amole means less walking in the dark after the sun sets.

To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 10 in Tucson, exit onto West Ina Road and head west. At North Wade Road, turn left/south. When the road veers west, it naturally becomes West Picture Rocks Road and enters the park. Next, go left/south onto North Sandario Road then left/east onto North Kinney Road and finally left/northeast onto gravel Hohokam Road. The trailhead is in about 0.8 miles. Be forewarned that the parking area is small with space for about four vehicles, but there is a nearby pull-off on the road where you can park.

From the parking lot, the trail heads due east, starting at around 2575 feet elevation, circling around the base of a hill that is the westernmost edge of the small mountain range. Barrel cacti, cholla, echinocereus, opuntia, saguaros of all sizes and Schott’s agave surround you.

Ridgeline
Next the trail drops into and crosses a ravine then ascends toward the ridgeline via a few switchbacks. As you gain elevation, you’re treated to a variety of great vistas. Avra Valley is to the west, and the Santa Catalina Mountains to the northeast.

The trail soon crests a hill and reaches a saddle that offer great desert views to the north and south.

From there, the trail ascends along the edge of the ridgeline toward its top. The route generally avoids the peaks along the ridge, as their tops are too steep,

Watch for some of the old mine shafts that appear along the way. They are fenced off, and you should not try entering them, as they are unsafe.

At 2.7 miles, the path reaches a four-way junction with Sendero-Esperanza Trail.

Amole Peak
Next, continue on toward Amole Peak, which tops out at 4387 feet. At around 3.85 miles, the trail runs along the peak’s south side, where there are plenty of great spots just below it to catch the sunset from around 4215 feet. Some faint and steep paths do climb to the rocky top, which is the best spot to catch a sunrise.

As the sun sets, it illuminates the cloud bottoms in pink, mauve and apricot colors until that fades and the saguaros are just silhouettes. Eventually even they disappear as the stars pop out in the black sky.

Rather than view the sunset from Amole, you can continue on to Wasson Peak, which at 4693 feet, offers the highest vantage on the ridge. Wasson is in 1.05 miles, making the hike 9.8 miles round trip.

The trail is named after Hugh Norris, a former Tohono O’odham Indians police officer.

There’s no shade along the way, so be sure to don sunscreen, sunglasses and hat for the way there. Do not hike the trail in summer, as the heat will be dangerous. Bring plenty of water, about 1.5 quarts per person per hour of hiking. Should thunderstorms appear on the horizon, turn back, as lightning strikes will be a hazard when hiking the ridge. You’ll want headlamps or flashlights for the hike back.

TOPO MAP

Hugh Norris Trail. Click for larger version.