Rincon Mountain Parking Lot Project

 

One month look ahead

Here are what the next steps looks like in the project:

• NTP (Notice to Proceed) Date, 09/22/2025
• Install temporary fence around protected areas

 

Layout for new parking lot proposal

NPS

Project Intro

This project focuses on the entry roads, parking areas, and surrounding paths and utilities within the Rincon Mountain District (East Side) of the park. While a lot is involved, the outcome of this project aims to relocate and reconstruct the Park's fee collection kiosk, the entrance road, connecting paths, parking areas, and associated utilities and will improve deficiencies primarily related to visitor welfare, traffic circulation, and usability.

"As the busiest visitor center in the park, this parking lot and restroom catered to over 1 million visitors in 2023, accommodating for no more than 6 persons at a time in the restrooms. This number is woefully inadequate when large groups, buses, or peak visitation is present. The current parking lot is bisected by the park entrance road and fee station, causing an unsafe situation as visitors cross it to enter the VC and restrooms.

The new parking lot, sidewalks, comfort station, and bike ramada will greatly improve the safety and access to Saguaro National Park. As a result of the improvements visitors will have a more positive first experience when visiting. This work will improve the traffic flow around the VC and reduce the amount of time Law Enforcement needs to spend directing traffic and making sure visitors are parking in approved areas."

 

Project Justification

"Enabling Legislation for Saguaro National Park specifically relates to urban interface and associated challenges and opportunities and ties to the 2014 Foundation Document for SAGU recommendation for parking lot expansion. Under the section Urban Area Interface and Regional Identity (pg. 32), current conditions, trends, and threats clearly states that parking is undersized and not originally designed for multiple use (pedestrian, bicycle, vehicle), there is increasing seasonal overcrowding/congestion at the RMD visitor center, and there is increasing bicycle and vehicle accidents. In 2019, the Park developed a Facility Investment Plan (FIP) as a guide for prioritizing facility project needs and frequency, with the congested RMD VC parking area and associated pathways being the highest priority, in addition to addressing congestion areas at multiple trailheads.

The current alignment of the entrance road enters the park at an acute angle and continues through the existing parking lot to the fee kiosk. The re-alignment of the entrance road will be perpendicular to the busy Old Spanish Trail (OST), and tie into the relocated 10’x12’ fee kiosk now separated from the parking lot improving multi-modal circulation. A new right turn lane into the park from the OST will provide vehicles safe entry on to the main entrance road. The entry monument will be relocated away from the OST, will be accessed safely through the new west parking area for visitors, and incorporate ideal view sheds to mountain ranges for photo opportunities not currently available. The entrance gate will be relocated and replaced on the new road alignment.

A new bike ramada will be built adjacent to a new comfort station and multi-use path with additional bicycle parking capacity. The bike ramada and comfort station will support cyclists, and the comfort station will be available as overflow for visitors using the VC restroom units that are currently undersized. The new comfort station will utilize an existing septic tank and leach field. These will include a water bottle fill station. Many bicyclists do not visit the VC, and this will create a separation for these users.

Existing parking capacity is 30 spaces and accessible capacity is two spaces. No RV or bus parking space exists. Parking improvements include two lots to meet increased capacity needs, but primarily to add RV/bus and accessible parking stalls, with two stalls for electric vehicle charging stations in the future. The parking area designs shall be separated from the entry road, accommodate oversized vehicles and their turning radii, stacking for future bus drop-off and pick-up services (including option to add to the city bus route), and incorporate landscaping buffer strips to break up the expanse of paving (mitigate heat island effect) and provide storm water harvesting opportunities. Path improvements will focus on pedestrian mobility throughout the project area, including pedestrian crosswalks, additional sidewalks, and connections. Design solutions will look at using integral colored pavement selecting desert tones that will help reduce heat absorption/gain for sustainability. Dark sky compliant lighting will be added as necessary to align with the Park’s Urban Dark Sky status.

Safety – Findings of the 2017 RMD VC Area Safety Analysis showed numerous health, life, and safety deficiencies. As a result, risk assessment code work orders were created for this project to address the multiple use interface in the parking lot, and the unsafe location of the park entrance sign. Concerns for visitor welfare are mainly related to conflicts between pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle traffic. Additionally, access to drinking water during hot summer months has resulted in two recent heat stress related fatalities and multiple injuries. Pedestrian and bicycle crossings in roadways will have markings and accessible, detectable warning pads allowing safe passage from parking areas to the VC. New path/sidewalk alignments are required to keep visitors from walking or biking in roadways where they currently interface with vehicle traffic. New speed limit and directional signs for vehicle traffic will contribute to pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle safety."

 

Intended Outcomes

"The primary Investment Pillar of this project is Investing in Our Visitors.

The interface between vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian circulation and access to the loop drive will be improved by redesigning entrance road and path alignments. Parking areas will be separated from the entrance road and fee booth, mitigating the current issues of congestion and safety hazards. Visitor arrival and experience to the park will be improved and risk of collision with pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vehicles will be reduced.

With the addition of new parking areas and a comfort station, it is expected that O&M would increase by $4,000 annually. New road and parking inventory will be added to FHWA PPP, and new asphalt is expected to reset any existing repair backlog to a condition status of ‘good’. The comfort station, trails and sidewalks, bike ramada, and associated assets will be added to the FIP, and future reoccurring maintenance needs will be addressed through the Cyclic program and the Park’s $986k allocation. Some reoccurring maintenance and Integrated Pest Management is currently being addressed with ONPS funding but will soon be offset by project funds, and through attrition, permanent full-time positions are moving to career seasonal freeing up ONPS funding that can be used to address the future increase to O&M if needed.

This project will obliterate approximately 5,193 square yards (SY) of existing roadway and construct approximately 6,718 SY of new roadway, and approximately 7,927 SY the east and west parking lot. Construction of approximately 2,903 SY of accessible paths will connect parking areas to the VC. Revegetation and seeding of areas impacted by construction will affect approximately 75,000 SF and will create vegetation screening between roads/paths and parking lots. 72 vehicle, eight RV, and eight accessible parking spaces will be added, with an option for a city bus connection. The relocation of the fee kiosk will require that 260 LF of electrical utilities will be installed. A new comfort station and water station will be installed to include 40 LF of water piping. A new bike ramada will be constructed adjacent to the comfort station. The new park entry monument and plaza will be safely set back from OST and retain elements of Mission 66 era construction."