Visiting Tohono Chul Park

Tohono Chul Park is located at 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson, AZ. The park is open daily 8am to 5pm. The gift shops, greenhouse, and exhibit house open at 9am. As long as you enter the park by 5pm you can stay until sunset. The buildings are closed on New' Years Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day, but the grounds are open for free on those days. The park is also free the first Tuesday of every month. Regular admission charges are $5 for adults, $4 for 62 and over, $3 for students with ID, $2 for children 5 to 12, and free for kids under 5. There website is www.tohonochulpark.org.

The Park offers many trails to walk. While it may be possible to go through the whole place in one day it would be pretty hard to do and actually see the natural beauty that the park has to offer. Do not rush through the place, but instead choose a place to start and fully explore the area for as long as it takes you and then choose another and another depending on the time you have. In the summer it can be quite hot, so plan accordingly and bring a water bottle (there are some fountains to fill up to stay hydrated) and wear sunscreen. A hat and/or sunglasses are also nice to have. To take a break and cool off during you visit you can have a snack or meal in the Tea Room.

One of the best trails is the Saguaro Discovery Trail, which is great trail for seeing Sonoran desert plants and learn about this environment through the great signs posted at regular intervals along the trail. Depending on your rime it is also nice to take the South Loop Trail as you head back towards the other areas or the exit. This trail is about a quarter of mile loop.

Another option is the North Loop Trail, which is a quarter of mile. Near here is the exhibit house, which hosts changing exhibits. There is also a garden for children in this are.

One place that is great to stop in no matter your route is the Hummingbird Garden located near the tea room. If you are lucky you will be able to see some hummingbirds that are attracted to the plants in this are.