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Map of Saguaro East Rincon Mountain District, the eastern unit of Saguaro National Park in Arizona. The L-shaped park is green, with the Coronado National Forest in tan, and the non-park boundary areas in beige..

Extended Description

A road called Old Spanish Trail forms part of the park boundary against the lower left corner of the park near the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center, which has a ranger station, restrooms, wheelchair access, and drinking water. A note farther south along Old Spanish Trail reads “To Colossal Cave Mountain Park,” which has campgrounds.

The paved Cactus Loop Forest Drive, on which oversize vehicles are not allowed, extends from near the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center to curve up along the western edge of the park, then passes the Desert Ecology Trail, which has wheelchair access and a self-guiding trail. The loop then continues south towards Javelina, which is on a short access road branching off the loop and has a picnic area and restrooms. Near Javelina, the Freeman Homestead Trail has a self-guiding trail. The loop then heads back northwest and returns to the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center.

From west to east, the major natural features across the park include the Tanque Verde Ridge, Box Canyon, Wildhorse Canyon, Chimenea Canyon, Madrona Canyon, and the Rincon Mountains. A web of trails crosses most of the park, and some lead to labeled sites like Mica View, which has wheelchair access, picnic areas, and restrooms, near the northwest corner. Halfway across the map trails lead to Douglas Spring, Juniper Basin, and Grass Shack, all of which have primitive campgrounds. Trails also give access to Manning Camp near the northeast corner, which has primitive campgrounds as well as a ranger station. Spud Rock and Happy Valley along the eastern edge of the park also have primitive campgrounds

A separate network of trails appear in an alcove-like projection off the bottom center of the park. The Arizona National Scenic Trail, represented as a dashed green line, meanders through the Rincon Valley south of the park before passing the boundary near this cluster of trails. The scenic trail continues north and east as first the Quilter Trail, then Manning Camp Trail past Grass Shack and Manning Camp, and finally as the Italian Spring Trail before it exits and continues into Coronado National Forest, which wraps around the north, east, and south sides of the park.

Wilderness areas are to the north and southeast in the park. A gray block to the southeast is marked “"State Land” and a few orange spots nearby are marked “Private land.” West of the park are a grid of streets, through which the Old Spanish Trail cuts. From top to bottom, the east-west roads are Tanque Verde Road, Speedway Boulevard, Broadway Boulevard, 22nd Street, Golf Links Road, and Escalante Road. From left to right, the north-south roads are S. Pantano Parkway, Harrison Road, Houghton Road, and, along the west edge of the park, Freeman Road.