Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SAGUARO WITH ARMS UPLIFTED
It's 0.9 mile from here to the end of the trail, heading southwest. This is the rock-
iest and least-maintained part of the trail, and car noise begins to intrude as you ap-
proach the final trailhead. To my mind it's the least attractive section, but there is a
pretty stand of teddy bear cholla shortly before the end.
Cactus Forest Trail ends at Old Spanish Trail, a fairly busy road—
not
a hiking
trail. From this road, the trailhead is unmarked at the time of this writing; there's
simply a dirt shoulder on which a handful of cars can park. So if you were thinking
of a car shuttle, you just have to know where this dirt shoulder is. If you have a good
city map, you can find it on the left side of Old Spanish Trail, 1.5 miles south of the
exit of the park and 0.2 mile south of Irvington Road. Good luck with that!
I prefer to make this an out-and-back hike and, when I return to the Mica View
Trail turnoff, take Mica View to the left to make an alternate return to the trailhead.
This trail passes through the Mica View Picnic Area, which can be reached by car
from Cactus Forest Loop Drive. It has a dozen unshaded picnic tables with barbecue
grills and a pit toilet, but no water. The area is named for views of Mica Mountain,
which at 8,666 feet is the highest point in both the Saguaro National Park and the Rin-
