Saguaro National Park (SNP) is renowned for its striking desert landscapes and towering cacti. However, the park will soon have even more for visitors to explore.
On Dec. 16, local authorities approved the National Park Service’s bid to purchase 400.82 additional acres of land. SNP is now hopeful of expanding and protecting more of this unique desert region in the process.
The Deal
Prior to the approval, NPS had approached Pima County’s local government body about purchasing this desert property west of Tucson. GearJunkie reached out to the NPS for comment on the sale, but did not hear back by publication.
According to a press release from the county’s Conservation Land & Resources Department (CLR), the NPS offered to pay $2,964,000 for 240 acres in Tucson Mountain Park and an additional 160 acres of county land. The property is north of Gates Pass Road and east of Kinney Road, according to the release.
As required by law, for the sale to go through, the five members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors had to unanimously approve the deal. They voted and approved it on Dec. 16; however, there is no set date yet for the sale to close.
Kris Gade, director of Pima County CLR, explained that the sale will benefit all parties, as well as the land itself. With national park status comes all the habitat, wildlife, and landscape protections of NPS.
Having a clear boundary between Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West will also aid in efforts to manage invasive plant species and abandoned mines. CLR plans to use the nearly $3 million from the deal to help conservation efforts in the Sonoran Desert and fund fencing and habitat restoration.
The Park
Most of the land comes from Tucson Mountain Park, a 20,000-acre county-owned park. It is a popular outdoor recreation spot, with 62 miles of hiking trails. Saguaro has two separate areas — the Tucson Mountain district and the Rincon Mountain District — and the deal will expand the park’s Tucson Mountain area.
Before the sale, Saguaro National Park encompassed approximately 92,000 acres. It is one of the lesser-visited parks, with 946,000 visitors in 2024. Despite this lower number, it remains a major economic engine in the local area.
According to nonprofit Friends of Saguaro National Park, in 2024, the park contributed $103 million to the local economy.
The park is renowned for its diverse wildlife, which includes roadrunners, javelinas, and tortoises, as well as its prehistoric petroglyphs. With the possibility of expanding by more than 400 acres also comes the prospect of expanding protection for all of those native species and cultural sites.
“Sale of these 400 acres to Saguaro National Park will ensure their continued protection as conservation lands as well as simplify management actions,” Gade said.
