Saguaro West, The Volcanic Oven of the Tucson Mountains
May 2021
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A few days later, we explored the West Side of Saguaro National Park. This part of the park is located in the Tucson Mountains, on the opposite side of the city from where we had hiked before. We started up the Hugh Norris Trail, but after the first mile, we decided it was better to be safe than sorry.
Exploring Saguaro National Park
This hike felt significantly more strenuous than the one on the East Side. It was much warmer here because the park on the west sits at a lower altitude, and the dark volcanic rocks radiate the heat back from the ground up. Between the relentless heat, the steep elevation gain, and realizing we hadn’t packed enough food or water, we made the call to turn around.
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Even though our hike was short, the views of the mountains and the dense cactus forest were absolutely spectacular and well worth the effort!
