Earlier this spring of 2025, my good friend and hiking buddy Sandy joined me for a week-long road trip all over Arizona, hiking the state’s three national parks: Saguaro, Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon, which should be on everyone’s life list.
The Saguaro is situated on the east and west sides of Tucson and is packed with a broad range of cacti, not just the saguaro. Petrified Forest is near Winslow, the town made famous by the Eagles’ track that catapulted them to fame, Take It Easy.
Visiting all three parks in a week makes for a jam-packed, rewarding adventure. April is an especially fine time to visit and hike – sunny, warm, and dry but not too hot.
Tucson and Saguaro National Park
We flew into Phoenix and began our hiking adventure with a two-hour drive to the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park, about 20 minutes west of Tucson. The Rincon District, located 20 minutes east of the city, was planned for the following day before heading to Petrified Forest. Though the drive wasn’t remarkable by southwest standards, I hadn’t driven through desert terrain in years and found it a refreshing change from New England topography.
Saguaro West – Tucson Mountain District
We arrived around 11 am and proceeded directly to the Red Hills Visitor Center to get hiking advice from the park rangers. Ranger Scott gave me a terrific hiking guide to the District, and recommended a 5-hour hike up Wasson Peak (1,863 ft.), the highest in the area. Sandy and I chose the steepest trail up, called Kings Canyon, and a milder route for the descent (Hugh Norris and Esperanza Trails), creating a 7.8-mile loop and taking us among many saguaros and some abandoned gold mines.
Fun Fact: Saguaro cacti are found only in the Sonoran Desert. They can live 200 years, reach 50 feet, and don’t even grow their first arm until after age 50.
Saguaro East – Rincon District
The next day, with another early start, Sandy and I hiked a series of interconnected trails in the Wildhorse Canyon area of the Rincon District, as recommended by Ranger Sue. We were treated to a broad range of cacti besides the giant saguaro – prickly pear, barrel, and cholla, among others. Afterward, we completed a drive of the Cactus Forest Loop, which starts at the Visitor Center. The Loop was a curvy, very scenic, paved road which led past many of the trailheads. We could have hiked at higher elevations in the Rincon Mountains, but those trailheads were an hour’s drive away, and we wanted to make haste to Sabino Canyon and the Santa Catalina Mountain range.
Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is about a half hour north of Tucson. I would have liked to hike the Bear Canyon Trail to Seven Falls (about 3-4 hours round trip), but we only had time for a tram ride up the Canyon. Next time.
We wanted to do the 28-mile drive up to the 9,151 ft summit of Mount Lemmon before sundown, as it offered some great views and temps about 25 degrees cooler than Tucson.
I found myself smitten with the quiet beauty of the harsh desert environment, especially at sunrise and sunset. I very much appreciated the dry warmth of the desert, particularly in contrast to the rainy, chilly April weather of New England.
Half-Day in Petrified Forest National Park
After hiking Saguaro, it was time to say goodbye to Tucson and head north on a 5-hour drive to the Petrified Forest. The drive took us from the cacti-laden desert, through pinions and juniper, to sycamore and ponderosa pine forest, culminating in a dramatic, 2,000-ft descent, hairpin turns and all, through the Salt River Canyon, known locally as “The Mini Grand Canyon”.
Petrified Forest National Park is one of the smaller U.S. national parks. The main activity is to drive the 28-mile park road from end to end, stopping at any of the pull-offs to admire the scenery and perhaps enjoy a couple of short, flat hikes. There are two visitor centers located at each end of the road, and we found it very helpful to chat with the rangers about which pull-offs are most appealing.
Sandy on “Old Faithful” petrified log; “The Tepees”; tourists stroll through Blue Mesa
Painted Desert, Blue Mesa and Giant Logs
The Painted Desert is particularly scenic at sunrise and dusk, but we found it nevertheless very beautiful at mid-day. Ranger Dan recommended visits to Blue Mesa and Giant Logs along the park’s road, and we were very pleased that we took time at each. There are several other stops we could have made, but didn’t. The Grand Canyon was pulling us onward.
Fun Fact: Petrified wood is found throughout the world, but this is the largest concentration. The “wood” is actually stone, as the fossilization process has turned the wood into sedimentary rock, typically comprised of silicates such as quartz and calcite.
Tip: On the drive from Petrified Forest to Grand Canyon, don’t miss the opportunity to hop off the interstate so you, too, can be “standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona” marking the spot made famous by Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey and The Eagles in “Take It Easy”.
Grand Canyon National Park
We had only two full days to explore the Grand Canyon. The plan for the first day was to explore the south rim, and the following day was to hike down into the canyon. Again, we chose to get up early to welcome sunrises and to delay dinners to witness sunsets.
I did a lot of research on “finding the best spots for photo ops”, and slowly realized that it is one of those questions to which everyone will offer a different answer. We experimented with several different spots – Mather Point, Hopi Point, Powell Point, Desert View Watchtower – all of which had their pros and cons, so I will refrain from adding to the lists of recommendations. Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong.
We did enjoy walking a portion of the Rim Trail, which extends 12.8 miles from Hermits Rest to the South Kaibab trailhead. We chose to walk the most-touristed portion from the Visitor Center to the lodges. We enjoyed views of both the canyon and our fellow tourists, some of whom were inclined to pose on the lip of ledges overlooking the canyon. I might have joined in the fun.
Tip: We took advantage of the terrific Rim bus service, which lets visitors walk as far as they like and ride back from multiple stops. During high season, when cars are prohibited on parts of the road, the buses run from an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset—perfect for catching early or late photo ops.
Hike Into the Canyon
The plan was to hike down Bright Angel Trail to Havasupai Garden (formerly known as Indian Garden), but not all the way to the Colorado River. The trail is a 3,000-foot, 9-mile round trip—far enough to test our knees without overdoing it. Park Rangers discourage the full 5,000-foot descent and ascent in one day. Bright Angel is the easiest of the canyon trails, with resthouses at 1.5 and 3 miles. Ranger Tom advised that the Garden’s water source was running, letting us carry less weight.
We got a 6:30 am start, shortly after sunrise, to hike in the cooler part of the day. Bright Angel Trail is situated in the canyon to avoid direct morning sunlight on most of its journey to the Garden. Yet, the morning sun glowed off the canyon walls, offering a continuous riot of color. Simply spectacular!
We took short breaks at each resthouse and made it down in 2.5 hours, taking plenty of time for photos. I was surprised at the extent of foliage at the Garden, although I should have taken its name more literally. We lounged at picnic tables there under a full canopy of shade and refueled before beginning the more arduous trek back up.
Tip: Ranger Sue shared a great tip—soaking my hiking shirt in water to stay cool on the climb. It worked perfectly. We took short breaks at the resthouses and finished the ascent in three hours. With temperatures in the high 70s, conditions were ideal, helping us maintain a strong pace. Rangers suggest allowing twice as long going up as down; our total time was six hours—two down, three up—and the knees held up great.
A Truly Grand Experience
I can’t say enough good things about this trail. Besides the beauty of the views, the trail surface was smooth and forgiving, and stone steps were embedded where necessary. The grade was not unreasonable, and the resthouses served as natural turnaround points for many people. The trail offers, especially in the early morning, a more peaceful and immersive experience than hanging with the horde on the rim, even if you venture down only a half mile. I score it an 11 on a 10-point scale.
I came away from this adventure being reminded of how much I enjoy a breath of warm, fresh air in early April when New England is emerging from winter’s ice and cold and still in the throes of April showers. I’m making a note to self: go somewhere warm, dry and sunny in April every year, especially now that I’m retired and can smell the roses – or cacti. For more details on this adventure, check out my itinerary.
Get Out There and Carpe Diem!
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