Saguaro National Park - Signal Hill Petroglyphs

 

Going out in the heat last week to see Pueblo Grande, reminded of a hike I did about 3 years ago while staying in Tucson the week after July 4th. The forecast for that day was only a meager 112 degrees, but I thought it best to get out early, and headed to Saguaro National Park's unit on the west side of Tucson. It was very scenic drive up and over ( and through Tucson Mountain Park) on the Gates Pass Road. I stopped at a parking area on the west side, and chatted with older man coming back from his hike. I  must've said something about the heat and because I remember him saying " it's only  98" ( it was 8:30 in the morning). I had to wait for the park visitor center to open at 9:00 ( thinking, as I did just last week, that it would make more sense in May through September to open a couple of hours earlier, or at least an hour).

 Anyway after paying and briefly looking around the shop, I was off  to Signal Hill Picnic Area, stopping a few times along the way to snap photos of the saguaros. 

At Signal Hill, I parked and did the very short hike up to the rocky knoll where petroglyphs are to be found. The little hill commands a vast view of the  Brawley Wash and distant mountains, but I'm not sure what else is particularly compelling about  this location that ancient people would want to hang around long enough to peck petroglyphs. I wanted to crawl around on the  basalt boulders to see more of the rock art and get some close-up photos as is my wont to do in New Mexico, but the Park Service makes it clear that they frown on that sort of behavior, so I was good.

 On the way back, I stopped at the pass again and walked around a bit.  It's such a scenic range,  I had to have a second look.