News Release

Saguaro National Park to Repair and Improve Signal Hill Picnic Area

Date: November 1, 2023
Contact: Cam Juarez

Tucson, AZ – Saguaro National Park will commence work to repair and improve the Signal Hill Picnic Area in the park's (west) Tucson Mountain District. Work is expected to begin Monday, November 6, 2023, and is scheduled to be completed by March 13th, 2024. Park staff are planning for partial closures of the Signal Hill parking and picnic area during the next four months. Signal Hill itself will remain open to public access with limited access.

The first phase of the project, completed earlier this year, focused on the construction of a new accessible restroom at the site. This winter, the remaining work will focus on carefully repairing historic structures and providing greater accessibility for visitors with limited mobility. The Signal Hill Picnic Area will be closed to all traffic during construction to ensure the safety of park visitors and workers. The repair project will include the renovation of three historic Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) structures built in the late 1930s.

To provide greater accessibility, the project will also include a new accessible parking area, restroom, and picnic shelter. Site improvements will be made at two of the historic CCC structures to meet current Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS). This work will also include site improvements made for parking, one new ABAAS shade shelter, in addition to the already completed ABAAS-compliant vault restroom.

Due to limited parking, visitors who are able to, are encouraged to hike to Signal Hill via the Cactus Wren Trail (approximately 3.6 miles/5.8 km roundtrip) and the Manville Trail (approximately 2.2 miles/3.5 km roundtrip). Please note that parking for these trails is alongside roads outside of the park boundaries. Visitors are urged to park completely out of roadways and cross the roads with care.

The Signal Hill Picnic Area project is a significant step forward for Saguaro National Park in providing a more enjoyable and inclusive experience for all visitors. The team at the park look forward to reopening the improved area and welcome visitors back to enjoy these popular amenities. For more information, visit the Saguaro National Park website at www.nps.gov/sagu.