Horseback Riding
Visiting the park on horseback gives you a different perspective of the Sonoran Desert landscape.
Plan Around Horseback Riding
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Horseback Riding Details
While horseback riding is permitted within Saguaro National Park, there are strict guidelines that riders must follow when visiting the park. In the Rincon Mountain District (east), off-trail horseback riding is prohibited, and several trails are off limits to horses, including south of the intersection of the Carillo and Wild Horse trails; the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail; the Desert Ecology Trail; and the Freedman Homestead Trail. In addition, horses are not allowed in the Mica View Picnic Area, Javelina Picnic Area, and the Visitor Center Area. Horse trailer parking is available in the Rincon Mountain District: for trails in the Cactus Forest, use parking at the Wild Horse Trailhead. Additional parking is available 0.4-mile south of the Loma Alta trailhead as well as at the Broadway trailhead. If these areas are full, you will need to park your horse trailer outside of the park. In the Tucson Mountain District, riding groups are limited to 15 horses and again, horseback riding is prohibited off-trail and on several trails: the Desert Discovery Trail; Hugh Norris Trail; King Canyon Trail (between Sweetwater Trail junction to the Hugh Norris trail junction); Cactus Wren Trail south of the Encinas Trail; Manville Trail (from Signal Hill Picnic Area to Manville Road); and the Bajada Wash Trail (from the Valley View Overlook Trail to the Sus Picnic Area). In addition, horses are not allowed at the Visitor Center and surrounding trails, Sus Picnic Area, or Signal Hill Picnic Area. Horse trailer parking in the Tucson Mountain District can be found at the Cam Boh, El Camino del Cerro, and Sendero Esperanza trailheads.
Difficulty
Open
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
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Region
Activities
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