"The Hour of the Snake:Saguaro National Park" Top 5 Page for this destination Saguaro National Park by richiecdisc

Saguaro National Park Travel Guide: 207 reviews and 516 photos

the Saguaro defines the Wild Wild West - Saguaro National Park

The curve-billed thrasher snacking early morning

Saguaro National Park might not be one of the most famous in the National Park system but the image of the Saguaro is perhaps the defining one of the American Southwest. The iconic cacti is symbolic of the Wild Wild West and seeing them while motoring down the wide open highways is certainly one of the great joys of driving in the west of the United States. While the park might lack fame, it has an abundance of their namesake cacti in a scenic mountainside setting. Couple this with a great arid climate, too many days of sunshine to mention, and a beautiful extensive Visitor Center, and you have an easy access park well worth exploring. The huge cacti might be the symbol of the west but you can't find them just anywhere. If you want to see them in profusion, this is the place to do it.

Last visit to Saguaro National Park: Apr 2008
Intro Updated May 31, 2009
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Reviews (12)

sometimes you can just tell if he's a he - Saguaro National Park

round tailed ground squirrel Things to Do (6)

We saw a lot of squirrels on our six month camping trip around the US but this little guy was quite a character and... more travel advice

curved billed thrasher snacking - Saguaro National Park

curve-billed thrasher Things to Do (6)

The curve-billed thrasher is a large, grayish-brown bird with yellow eyes and a noticeably curved bill. They feed on... more travel advice

nesting Gila Woodpeckers in a Saguaro - Saguaro National Park

the Gila Woodpecker Things to Do (6)

The huge Saguaro make perfect nesting spots for local birds such as the Gila Woodpecker who borough a new hole each... more travel advice

catching some blooms early morning - Saguaro National Park

night-blooming Things to Do (6)

The flowers of the Saguaro are night-blooming so to get a good look at them, it's best to head out very early in the... more travel advice

Comments (8)

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Nemorino Mar 2, 2010 at 2:53 PM

Fantastic photos as always! I'm amazed that those cacti live so long.
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toonsarah Jun 24, 2009 at 1:19 AM

You've captured some great wildlife shots here :-) And I guess Happy Hour will always be the "hour of the snake" for you from now on? More great beer descriptions too, but how can you try so many when driving???
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Bwana_Brown Jun 15, 2009 at 5:54 PM

Continuing to stumble across beautiful places like Saguaro National Park must have been a great feeling as you started your adventure trip! Spectacular shots of the cacti and wildlife - as always. I think I too could sip a brew under those conditions!
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sandysmith Jun 12, 2009 at 10:30 AM

I see you have been busier than me! long detour for those keys.!
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mircaskirca Jun 2, 2009 at 11:50 AM

Lovely close-ups of the cacti! Oh, snakes in the desert... did you meet many? I'm not very enchanted about them. And a question that makes makes me a little worried... did you drink all that beer? ;)
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DoreenDe May 27, 2009 at 3:26 PM

So sometimes the hour of the snake is the hour of the sneak.."I didn't really plan on going there..."
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Sharrie May 27, 2009 at 10:03 AM

Sorry, didn't realised u were online. Notice was off. To answer your question, deleting is the right word. Btw, how come the pix on this page looks like they lack light!
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Trekki May 27, 2009 at 8:56 AM

My god, you should write beer guides!!! This delicate description of the flavours should earn Michelin points :-) Saguaro NP was one of my favourites, I just love these huge exciting giants! Fantastic photos as usual :)