Sight · Saguaro National Park
A homestead-era dam tucked into the cactus forest
Overview
Garwood Dam is a small historic waterworks in Wildhorse Canyon, in Saguaro’s Rincon Mountain District. It’s reached on foot, not by road. The direct route starts at Douglas Spring Trailhead and links Douglas Spring, Garwood and Carrillo trails. If you want a roadside stop, skip it; if a ranch-era structure makes a desert hike more interesting, this has a clear payoff. The surveyed route is 1.9 miles one way (about 3.8 miles out and back); the longer loop to Wildhorse Tank is 6.4 miles. Follow the park’s trail map rather than setting the dam pin as a drive-up destination.
Parkwolf’s verdictWorth the hike?Map
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
Douglas Spring and Wildhorse: The Falls Hike“You're nearing the Douglas Spring and Wildhorse trailheads near the end of Speedway Boulevard.”
Plays as you drive up to Garwood Dam 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
The route crosses cactus forest and several washes. The trail survey notes steep grades, loose and eroded rock, and deep ruts, so this isn’t a smooth path. Visitors repeatedly recommend an early start and plenty of water; expect an exposed desert walk rather than much shade. The shorter out-and-back is the direct choice; continue to Wildhorse Tank only if you want the longer loop.
Nelson and Josephine Garwood bought 450 acres here in 1945 and called their property the Bar G Ranch. Nelson began the dam in 1948 to hold water that ran through Wildhorse Canyon but wasn’t reliable year-round. He built it in stages with stone and concrete. Two 20,000-gallon tanks stored the water, fed by gravity through an eight-inch pipe and filters. The reservoir eventually filled with sediment to the top of the dam, so don’t count on the old waterworks as a source of visitor water.
The dam is low and easy to miss behind the desert growth, but it’s a satisfying bit of ranch history once you reach it. Look for the concrete’s plywood-form texture and the stonework from its staged construction. A closer picture of the wall shows more than a wide shot of the surrounding hillside.
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
EasyLoma Verde Loop3.8 mi · 2 hr · 1.3 mi awayAn easy desert loop with a wide view from Pink Hill.
EasyFreight Wagon Loop3.5 mi · 2 hr · 1.5 mi awayA gentle bajada loop with a dose of ranching history.
EasyShantz Trail4.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.5 mi awayA long, gentle traverse beneath the Rincon foothills.
ModerateWildhorse Trail to Little Wildhorse Tank4.4 mi · 2.3 hr · 1.5 mi awayA rocky, sun-exposed out-and-back to Little Wildhorse Tank.
ModerateBridal Wreath Falls Trail5.9 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.5 mi awayFollow a rugged desert path to a seasonal waterfall in the Rincons.
ModerateGarwood Dam and Wildhorse Tank Loop6.4 mi · 4.5 hr · 1.5 mi awayA ranch dam, cactus forest, and a rare desert water tank.
ModerateBridal Wreath Falls and Little Wildhorse Tank Loop8.3 mi · 5 hr · 1.5 mi awayA falls alcove and seasonal tanks reward a long foothills loop.ModerateGarwood Dam Trail3.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.5 mi awayA historic dam rewards a rough wash-crossing through cactus forest.
Sight · 0.6 mi awayLittle Wildhorse TankA desert pool with a decades-long recovery story.
Scenic pullout · 1.5 mi awayRiparian OverlookA quick pullout for Saguaro East’s wide cactus-forest views.
Picnic area · 2 mi awayMica View Picnic AreaA shaded picnic stop with an accessible desert stroll.
Sight · 2.3 mi awayRincon Mountains OverlookA roadside panorama over the Cactus Forest toward the Rincon Mountains.
Scenic pullout · 2.4 mi awayCactus Forest Sunset PulloutA small sunset stop between Rincon Mountain Overlook and Javelina Rocks.
Sight · 2.5 mi awayBridal Wreath FallsA desert hike to a waterfall that may be dry.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayCactus Forest Lime KilnsA signed spur to Saguaro's historic lime-kiln ruins.
Scenic pullout · 2.8 mi awayCactus Forest OverlookSaguaro views and a surprisingly long recovery story.Parkwolf’s Saguaro ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
