Where to See Desert Tortoise in Saguaro National Park

Sighting map

Desert Tortoise sightings in Saguaro

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Where Desert Tortoise has been reported, from 89 sightings. Not a live tracker: animals move, and an empty area doesn’t mean there are none. Locations are adjusted to protect the animals, so the pattern is approximate.

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Timing

When to look

12 AM1% of the busiest hour1 AM1% of the busiest hour2 AM1% of the busiest hour3 AM2% of the busiest hour4 AM3% of the busiest hour5 AM11% of the busiest hour6 AM39% of the busiest hour7 AM78% of the busiest hour8 AM94% of the busiest hour9 AM83% of the busiest hour10 AM61% of the busiest hour11 AM44% of the busiest hourNoon28% of the busiest hour1 PM22% of the busiest hour2 PM22% of the busiest hour3 PM33% of the busiest hour4 PM61% of the busiest hour5 PM83% of the busiest hour6 PMBusiest hour7 PM78% of the busiest hour8 PM33% of the busiest hour9 PM11% of the busiest hour10 PM6% of the busiest hour11 PM2% of the busiest hour

Desert Tortoise is most seen 8 AM and 6 PM. Bars compare each hour with the busiest one.

Desert Tortoise sightings by hour, as a share of the busiest hour
Hour	Share of busiest hour
12 AM	1%
1 AM	1%
2 AM	1%
3 AM	2%
4 AM	3%
5 AM	11%
6 AM	39%
7 AM	78%
8 AM	94%
9 AM	83%
10 AM	61%
11 AM	44%
Noon	28%
1 PM	22%
2 PM	22%
3 PM	33%
4 PM	61%
5 PM	83%
6 PM	100%
7 PM	78%
8 PM	33%
9 PM	11%
10 PM	6%
11 PM	2%

Audio tour

Hear about Desert Tortoise on the drive.

Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays stories like this one as you drive Saguaro, triggered by GPS and read through your car’s speakers.

Saguaro Tour Guide

Where the Tortoises Go

0:00 / 0:28

“A Sonoran desert tortoise spends much of its life out of sight. On rocky hillsides, it shelters in burrows and crevices, where conditions are cooler and less drying than the open ground.”

Plays as you drive near Sus Picnic Area in Parkwolf’s Saguaro Tour Guide.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Where to look

Saguaro spots that mention Desert Tortoise

Compare with the sightings

Places and trails whose Parkwolf guides talk about Desert Tortoise. A good start, never a guarantee.

Trails

ChallengingQuilter Trail14.6 mi · 9 hrTwo old cattle camps break up a long desert hike.

Wolf sightings in Yellowstone on Parkwolf’s Find Wildlife map, brightest around Lamar Valley — Wolf sightings in Yellowstone, in the app

Find Wildlife in Parkwolf

Every sighting map, in your pocket.

16 sighting mapsfor Saguaro, on the same park map as your route
Works offlineout where the animals are and the signal isn’t
43 audio storiesplay as you drive Saguaro, wildlife included

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Wildlife

More wildlife in Saguaro

All 16 sighting maps

19 sightingsBlack BearUrsus americanusMost seen 6 AM & 6–9 PMSighting map

56 sightingsMountain LionPuma concolorMost seen 6 AM & 7 PMSighting map

266 sightingsMule DeerOdocoileus hemionusMost seen 6 AM & 6 PMSighting map

113 sightingsCollared PeccaryPecari tajacuMost seen 6 AM & 6 PMSighting map

53 sightingsBobcatLynx rufusMost seen 6 AM & 6 PMSighting map

127 sightingsCoyoteCanis latransMost seen 6 AM & 5–7 PMSighting map

396 sightingsDiamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atroxMost seen 6–8 PMSighting map

77 sightingsTiger RattlesnakeCrotalus tigrisMost seen 7–9 PMSighting map

Where to see Desert Tortoise in Saguaro