Saguaro National Park: A Desert Kingdom of Giants
Some national parks feel like distant wildernesses, carefully preserved away from human touch. Saguaro National Park is different. It rises up around Tucson, with towering cacti standing like ancient sentinels, as if the city was built around them rather than the other way around. We spent the day exploring this vast desert landscape, where the saguaros watch over a world that moves much faster than they do.
Lorelei, Jack, Adeline, Carolina, and James eagerly tackled the Junior Ranger scavenger hunt, spotting desert life along the Desert Discovery Trail. With booklets in hand, they carefully examined lizards darting across the sand, cactus wrens chattering from spiny branches, and tiny burrows likely belonging to kangaroo rats. Every rustling bush brought fresh excitement, as they scanned the landscape for signs of wildlife. Even Poky, happily trotting along loved being included in the adventure.
The wildlife highlight of the day, however, came unexpectedly as we drove through the park. A coyote stepped onto the road, locking eyes with us before standing motionless, as if sizing us up. For a few seconds, everyone was silent—then Poky lost his mind, whimpering uncontrollably, desperate for a playdate with his long-lost desert cousin. The coyote, unimpressed, quietly stared us down. Fortunately, we kept Poky from jumping out the window, sparing him from getting mauled, rabies, or both.
While the saguaros stand rooted, the park’s wildcats remain unseen. Arizona is home to four wildcat species—bobcats, mountain lions, ocelots, and jaguars—though only the first two are confirmed in the park. Carolina kept scanning the horizon, hoping to spot a bobcat, while Adeline, always thoughtful, pointed out that if a mountain lion was nearby, we’d never see it—it would see us first.
The real stars of the park were the saguaros themselves. Some stretched tall and straight, others twisted into strange, almost human-like forms. These giants live for over 200 years, growing their first arm only after 75 years and providing shelter for everything from bats and woodpeckers to hawks and owls. The kids, initially focused on animals, soon found themselves studying the cacti, noting their shapes and scars, evidence of a slow battle against time and the elements.
By the end of the day, the kids had checked off most of their scavenger hunt list and proudly collected their Junior Ranger badges. Unfortunately, there was no Bark Ranger badge for Poky, though he certainly felt he had earned one. As the sun dipped low, the saguaros cast long shadows, turning golden in the desert light. Poky, still hopeful, kept glancing out the car window, as if willing the coyote to return. Saguaro National Park is a reminder that we are guests in an ancient and ongoing desert story—one where saguaros have stood for centuries, where mountain lions move like ghosts, and where a dog, certain he’d met his wild counterpart, would be telling his own version of the adventure for years to come.
