Picnic area · Saguaro National Park
A stone shelter turns a desert picnic into a proper stop.
Overview
The picnic area sits on a small rise, with southern views toward Wasson and Amole peaks. Sunset comes up repeatedly in visitor reports, so if you're here late in the day, take a minute to watch the light shift over the hills.
Parkwolf’s verdictA view worth staying forMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Saguaro Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Saguaro National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Saguaro audio tourRecorded for this place
Ez-Kim-In-Zin and Sendero Esperanza“Up ahead are Ez-Kim-In-Zin Picnic Area and Sendero Esperanza Trailhead. For a meal break, I'd choose Ez-Kim-In-Zin's stone-and-timber shelter, with views toward Wasson and Amole peaks.”
Plays as you drive up to Ez-Kim-In-Zin Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Saguaro Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Ez-Kim-In-Zin is a picnic area on Bajada Loop Drive in Saguaro's Tucson Mountain District, close to Sendero Esperanza Trailhead. It's a useful place to pause for a meal and enjoy the desert without taking on a hike. The stone-and-timber shelter gives the tables a sense of place; stop if you'd rather linger over lunch than add another short walk.
Civilian Conservation Corps crews built picnic facilities at Ez-Kim-In-Zin in the 1930s as part of a larger effort that brought roads, trails, water systems and erosion control to this part of the park. The wider Tucson Mountain Park was created in 1929; its northern section joined Saguaro National Monument in 1961, and Saguaro became a national park in 1994.
The National Park Service lists picnic tables, grills, shelters, a restroom, and both car and bus/RV parking. There's no food service listed, so bring the meal you want. The area is reached along Bajada Loop Drive near the Sendero Esperanza Trailhead.
Wildlife
19 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
56 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
266 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
113 sightingsCollared PeccaryMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
53 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
127 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Saguaro. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateEncinas Trail6.6 mi · 3.3 hr · At the trailheadA CCC-era road across the desert, with a steady climb back.
ModerateGolden Gate Multi-use Trail2.5 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayA wide gravel track links the Bajada Loop and Picture Rocks Road.
ModerateSendero Esperanza to the Ridgeline3.4 mi · 2 hr · 0.1 mi awayA sandy start gives way to switchbacks and wide valley views.
ChallengingSendero Esperanza Trail Big Loop8.5 mi · 5.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayAn 8.5-mile desert loop linking ridge views and sandy washes.ChallengingSendero Esperanza to Wasson Peak8 mi · 5 hr · 0.2 mi awayClimb to the Tucson Mountains' 4,687-foot high point.
EasyValley View Overlook Nature Trail0.8 mi · 36 min · 1.7 mi awayWash crossings lead to a wide desert view with ridge benches.
EasyWild Dog Trail1.8 mi · 1.2 hr · 1.7 mi awayA 1.8-mile desert walk from Valley View to the Signal Hill turnoff.
ModerateHugh Norris Big Loop6.6 mi · 4 hr · 2.2 mi awayDesert ridgeline views, sharp switchbacks, and a loop through two washes.
Picnic area · 0.1 mi awaySendero Esperanza Picnic AreaA simple picnic stop at the end of Golden Gate Road
Sight · 1.6 mi awayWasson PeakA hard-earned summit puts Tucson and two mountain ranges in view.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayGould MineCopper mine ruins reached by a desert hike.Sight · 2.1 mi awayValley View OverlookA short cactus walk opens onto Avra Valley and its distant ridges.
Picnic area · 2.1 mi awayMam-A-Gah Picnic AreaA covered picnic stop with desert views, nearly a mile uphill.
Sight · 2.3 mi awaySignal HillMore than 200 Hohokam petroglyphs on a short desert hill walk.
Picnic area · 2.4 mi awayCam-Boh Picnic AreaA shaded meal stop with Panther and Safford peaks to the north.
Picnic area · 2.6 mi awaySus Picnic AreaA shaded picnic stop with a little CCC history.Parkwolf’s Saguaro ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
