Description:​

Tohono Chul Park is a 49-acre botanical garden of native and desert-adapted plants in the Sonoran Desert.  The name “Tohono Chul” means “desert corner”, taken from the language of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

Dozens of paved and packed-earth trails lead visitors past saguaros, succulents, streams, and sculptures.  Along these trails, hikers pass through themed gardens designed to feature local geology, climate, flora, and horticulture. The Streamside Garden and Desert Palm Oasis provide cool stops on a hot sunny day.   The Desert View Trail loops for a half mile into the native environment with the convenience of benches, ramadas and a water station.  It is not uncommon to share the Park trails with roadrunners, quail and hummingbirds, as well as lizards and a tortoise or two.  

Tohono Chul Park is in north-central Tucson on a small well-marked side street near the popular Casas Adobes Plaza.  Street signs direct drivers to the entrance where there is ample accessible parking and a pedestrian path to admissions, restrooms, a gift shop, and café.  The hike begins on a paved walkway that branches into multiple dirt paths leading to points of interest.  

A team of docents patrol the trails and can offer information about regional ecology and native cultures in the Sonoran Desert.  Guided tours are available most days and included in the price of admission.  Accessible restrooms, shade ramadas, water stations, and helpful signage are available along most trails.

The grounds are largely wheelchair accessible with some challenging sections along the outermost reaches such as the South Loop Trail, the Saguaro Discovery Trail, and the Desert View Trail.  If rocks, ruts or roots are insurmountable, hikers can retrace to a firmer surface and continue along another route.  The dense network of trails makes it easy to create a customized loop of your desired length, time, pace, and interest.

Whatever your route, the hike loops back to the entrance where visitors can have a cold drink at the hacienda-style bistro or walk through art galleries in the Exhibit House before returning to the parking lot.  

A hike in Tohono Chul Park will give you an appreciation for the magical Sonoran Desert that some of us call home.