Mica View Trail - Saguaro National Park

by Stephanie Daniels
Broadway Trailhead sign

 

If you want to hike in Saguaro National Park but don't want to drive all the way into the Park, I have a not-so-secret secret to share with you: the Broadway Trailhead. Driving east down Broadway in Tucson the road dead ends at the base of the Rincon Mountains right next to the boundary of Saguaro National Park. There is a trailhead here where you can access several trails that go inside the Park, mainly the Mica View Trail.

The Mica View Trail is a semi-paved trail and it's one of my go-to's when I have friends or family in town visiting and we want to get the best "bang for our buck" in terms of time commitment, difficulty and classic desert landscape. In a short 0.5 mile walk you can see towering saguaros, ocotillo, prickly pear, barrel cacti, creosote, teddy bear cholla, palo verdes, brittlebush, and much more.

This could be considered more of a walk than a hike since the trail is flat and mostly paved so it's a good option for someone who is wanting an easy trail. I've taken family members with walkers and strollers on this trail so it's suitable for almost everyone.

   

From the trailhead you can choose to walk the paved trail to the Mica View Picnic Area inside the Park or you can choose one of the dirt trails that connect to the same area. These dirt trails also take you further into the Park so if you're looking for a longer hike you can find that here as well. Always make sure you have a map or some sort of navigation. There's a map posted at the trailhead for your convenience.

 

   

As the trail name suggests, Mica Mountain is within view on this trail, peeking up over a ridge in the Rincon Mountains (see above photo). You'll probably see a lot of wildlife evidence like this cactus wren nest in the cholla (below photo). Several cactus skeletons can be found on either side of the trail, like the cholla cactus skeleton or the saguaro skeleton (below photo). 

   

Another favorite part of this trail is the gorgeous view it offers of the Santa Catalina Mountains. We were lucky to have a recent snow fall when I hiked this and Mt Lemmon was still covered. I love a mountain covered in snow, especially in the desert! I need to come back in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom, I bet this trail will have lots of color come April or May.

 

Mica View Trail Trail - Broadway Trailhead,  Saguaro National Park

Date hiked: January 8, 2022

Total miles: 1.5 miles out & back

Elevation gain: 50 feet

Total time: 1 hour

Land acknowledgement: Ancestral lands of the Tohono O'odham and Yaqui

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