Saguaro National Park

Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.

Weather & conditions

Winter Season With daytime temperature from the low 50's to the high 70's Summer Season As we get deeper into the summer season, temperatures will range from mid-90's to low 110's. This is a great time to experience the desert as the day breaks or in the late of the day as the sun disappears behind the surrounding mountain ranges. During the late spring and summer months Saguaro National Park only offers interpretive programs on an intermittent basis.

What this latitude gives you

From 32.2° north, anything above declination +57.8° is circumpolar here: it never sets, so it is available on every clear night of the year. Anything below declination -57.8° never clears the horizon at all.

Astronomical darkness lasts through every night of the year here, including midsummer, which makes this a rare site for a June or July imaging trip.

We do not hold a measured Bortle class for this site, so treat the sky as unknown until you have taken a reading of your own.