History

Though Saguaro National Park was established in 1933, its history goes back much further.

Plan Around History

A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.

Add to trip View park guide

Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.

History Details

For thousands of years before this land became a national monument and then a national park, people have made the Sonoran Desert their home. Prehistoric petroglyphs, or rock art, can be found throughout the area, relics of the native Hohokam people. Depictions of animals, people and astrological symbols, as well as spirals and simple squiggly lines, can be found on sandstone and rocks throughout the park. In more recent history, homesteaders, and ranchers staked their claim to the land that is now Saguaro National Park. They set up communities complete with farms, homes, and schools. In 1928, University of Arizona President Homer L. Shantz took up the cause of preserving the saguaro cactus, a symbol of the American West. Through the next several years, he worked with the U.S. Forest Service, but over time the preservation efforts began to flag. Enter newspaper publisher Frank Hitchcock, who agreed with Shantz's vision and happened to be influential in the Republican party: a trip to Washington, D.C. resulted in Saguaro National Monument being established in March 1933 by President Herbert Hoover. It took a lot of work on behalf of volunteers and a lot of time, but in 1994 Congress acted to change Saguaro National Monument to Saguaro National Park.

Difficulty

Open

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

N/A

Region

Learn About the Park