Parking
Start at Mica View Picnic Area on Cactus Forest Loop Drive, where parking is available. Broadway Trailhead provides the other access point.
Overview
About Mica View Trail
Why go
- A broad, gentle path through the saguaro forest
- Picnic tables, grills and restrooms at the start
Heads up
- The out-and-back repeats the same corridor
- One sandy patch is looser than the rest of the tread
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Saguaro map
Full mapElevation2,769–2,822 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Saguaro alerts
- CautionHazards in Rincon Mountain burn areasMentions Rincon Mountain, referenced in this guideStay on trails and use extra caution in high-elevation Rincon Mountain areas burned by the two 2020 fires; fire damage can leave unstable ground and other hazards.Official details
- ClosureTucson Mountain District road closuresSeveral Tucson Mountain District roads are closed; follow posted closures and use McCain Loop to bypass the Kinney Road closure.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Saguaro Tour Guide
Your drive to Mica View Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Mica View: A Picnic and a Poem0:00 / 0:29
“You’re coming up on the access road for Mica View Picnic Area, a good place for a shaded meal break. The road is unpaved, and the picnic area has a large shelter with tables and grills.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Saguaro Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Desert Ecology Trail
- Broadway Trailhead: Pink Hill
- Cactus Forest North: The Lime Kilns
- Loma Verde: The Pink Hill View
- 43 audio storiesacross Saguaro’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 74 trails, 40 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Mica View Trail
A short cactus walkMica View Trail is an easy, 0.
Mica View Trail is an easy, 0.7-mile one-way path between Mica View Picnic Area and Broadway Trailhead in Saguaro's Rincon Mountain District. Walk 1.4 miles out and back and allow about 30 to 60 minutes. It brings you close to saguaros and other low-desert plants, with views toward Mica Mountain, the park's highest peak. Turn around at Broadway; the separate two-mile loop adds neighboring trails.
The way to BroadwayThe route crosses low desert vegetation on a broad, mostly level path.
The route crosses low desert vegetation on a broad, mostly level path. Its listed width is consistently 60 inches, with a typical grade of 1.8% and a maximum of 7.5%. The return follows the same corridor, so this is a gentle walk for looking closely at the cactus forest rather than a climb to a summit.
Check the surfaceThe route is listed as ADA-standard and 60 inches wide, but its surface is described…
The route is listed as ADA-standard and 60 inches wide, but its surface is described inconsistently: the access information calls it paved, while photos of the trail show compact gravel and at least one looser sandy patch. If your mobility aid needs asphalt-smooth footing, compare the photos or confirm the surface with a ranger before setting out.
At the picnic-area startMica View Picnic Area has parking, picnic shelter, tables, grills and restrooms, including…
Mica View Picnic Area has parking, picnic shelter, tables, grills and restrooms, including vault or composting toilets. Leashed dogs are allowed on this trail. Bicycles, vehicles and overnight use are prohibited. There is also access at Broadway Trailhead.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Saguaro
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.
