This past weekend I hopped over to Saguaro Natl. Park for a quick hike on the Tanque Verde trail. Saguaro Park is interesting in that it is split into two parts, with the city of Tucson smack dab in the middle. The Tanque Verde, located in the Eastern section of the park is a narrow and rocky trail that snakes up over 9 miles to Tanque Verde peak at 7049ft/2148m. I certainly didn't feel like doing 18 miles in a day, so the plan was to hike up to Juniper Basin, a campsite about 6 miles up the trail.
The cool thing about this trail is that you pass through a number of different mini ecosystems on your way up. The Saguaro and various other cacti gradually give way to desert grassland, which then turns into oak and eventually pine woodland. My favorite though was definitely the majestic Saguaro cactus that gives the park its namesake. These "monarchs of the desert" can grow into the oddest shapes, and in the right light they may even take on human characteristics. I could have sworn a couple times I was being followed, only to look over my shoulder and realize it was just some cactus checking me out. Overall it was a fantastic hike, with great views of Tucson and some very peculiar looking cacti. Definitely worth checking out if you're ever in the area.
This past weekend I hopped over to Saguaro Natl. Park for a quick hike on the Tanque Verde trail. Saguaro Park is interesting in that it is split into two parts, with the city of Tucson smack dab in the middle. The Tanque Verde, located in the Eastern section of the park is a narrow and rocky trail that snakes up over 9 miles to Tanque Verde peak at 7049ft/2148m. I certainly didn't feel like doing 18 miles in a day, so the plan was to hike up to Juniper Basin, a campsite about 6 miles up the trail.
The cool thing about this trail is that you pass through a number of different mini ecosystems on your way up. The Saguaro and various other cacti gradually give way to desert grassland, which then turns into oak and eventually pine woodland. My favorite though was definitely the majestic Saguaro cactus that gives the park its namesake. These "monarchs of the desert" can grow into the oddest shapes, and in the right light they may even take on human characteristics. I could have sworn a couple times I was being followed, only to look over my shoulder and realize it was just some cactus checking me out. Overall it was a fantastic hike, with great views of Tucson and some very peculiar looking cacti. Definitely worth checking out if you're ever in the area. 
Sweet! I'm definitely going to check it out.
ReplyDelete