Apr 29, 2025 - News

Arizona's Saguaro National Park grows by 48 acres

Jessica Boehm

Saguaro cactuses with mountains in the background. — Saguaro National Park is now 50 acres larger. Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

Nearly 50 acres in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains have been added to Saguaro National Park, bringing its total footprint to over 92,000 acres.

Why it matters: The national park outside Tucson is visited by about a million people annually and is a sanctuary for a wide array of desert plants and animals, including, of course, the state's iconic Saguaro Cactus.

State of play: Trust for Public Land acquired the 48 acres near the Tucson Mountains to increase the scope of the park, one of five expansions in the past decade.

How it works: Trust for Public Land purchased the acreage using the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, financed by a portion of U.S. offshore oil and natural gas revenues.

Pima County and the Southern Arizona Hiking Club also supported the expansion.

The bottom line: "Saguaro is a truly unique getaway—not only a vast desert backyard for Tucsonans and Southern Arizonans, but also a destination for visitors from across the country and around the world who come to experience the natural wonders of the American Southwest," Trust for Public Land CEO and president Carrie Besnette Hauser said in a statement.

Add Axios on Google

Arizona's Saguaro National Park grows by 48 acres

More Phoenix stories