Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona was created in 1994 from a national monument established in 1933. The park comprises two tracts of Sonoran Desert, one east of the city of Tucson and the other west, making up a total area of 87,687 acres. The chief attraction is a forest of saguaro cactus, which grows at elevations of up to 4,000 feet. These giants, some growing 50 feet during a lifetime of up to 200 years, store enough water to flower every year, beginning late in May. The funnel-shaped clusters of white petals, the state flower of Arizona, open at night.