The Hope Camp Trail, North Hope and Ridgeview trails run along a south-facing slope in the Rincon foothills. These trails pass through some of the district's tallest saguaros, and a rich collection of cacti and brush.

Chainfruit cholla produce fruit clusters that may remain attached for years; new flowers bloom on top of them and add to the chain

The long, stiff ribs of saguaro were used for weaponry, construction and harvesting saguaro fruit

Saguaros may only grow 1 - 3" over their first eight years, and not produce branches until 50-75 years old

There are approximately 1,000 and 1,200 native bee species in the Tucson area

Drought tolerant plants can extract water from soil that's far below its saturation point

The Rincon Mountain District ranges from 2,670' - 8,666' and supports over 1,200 plant species on just 12.3" of annual rainfall

Now open to bikes, the Hope Camp Trail will complete a popular mountain biking loop on the east side of Tucson

All three photosynthetic pathways (C3, C4, CAM) are represented in Saguaro's desert scrub community

The Hohokam irrigated this land with canals built 500-1400 A.D.; some are still operable today

Chainfruit Cholla have fewer spines than most cholla and can reach 12-15' tall