- jmineo
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
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Editor Pick
Tohono Chul Park
- June 16, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
kwasiak from Tucson, Arizona
Tohono Chul Park is located at 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson, AZ. The park is open daily from 8am to 5pm. The gift shops, greenhouse, and exhibit house open at 9am. As long as you enter the park by 5pm you can stay until sunset. The buildings are closed on New’ Years Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day, but the grounds are open for free on those days. The park is also free the first Tuesday of every month. Regular admission charges are $5 for adults, $4 for 62 and over, $3 for students with ID, $2 for children 5 to 12, and free for kids under 5. There website is www.tohonochulpark.org.
The Park offers many trails to walk. While it may be possible to go through the whole place in one day it would be pretty hard to do and actually see the natural beauty that the park has to offer. Do not rush through the place, but instead choose a place to start and fully explore the area for as long as it takes you and then choose another and another depending on the time you have. In the summer it can be quite hot, so plan accordingly and bring a water bottle (there are some fountains to fill up to stay hydrated) and wear sunscreen. A hat and/or sunglasses are also nice to have. To take a break and cool off during you visit you can have a snack or meal in the Tea Room.
One of the best trails is the Saguaro Discovery Trail, which is great trail for seeing Sonoran desert plants and learn about this environment through the great signs posted at regular intervals along the trail. Depending on your rime it is also nice to take the South Loop Trail as you head back towards the other areas or the exit. This trail is about a quarter of mile loop.
Another option is the North Loop Trail, which is a quarter of mile. Near here is the exhibit house, which hosts changing exhibits. There is also a garden for children in this are.
One place that is great to stop in no matter your route is the Hummingbird Garden located near the tea room. If you are lucky you will be able to see some hummingbirds that are attracted to the plants in this are.
Other wildlife to be on the lookout for are bobcats, coyotes, and javelinas, especially in the North Loop area, although they still remain rare to sight. Birds can often be spotted throughout the park. Just a few birds include cardinals and doves.
From journal Nature Sites In and Around Tucson - Part One
Tohono Chul Park
- November 29, 2005
- Rated 4 of 5 by
ParrotTalk from Boston, Massachusetts
This little park is a jewel. The landscaping is beautiful with many different types of gardens to view. You are given a map upon admission and you may either circulate freely on your own, or take advantage of one of the guided tours. Tour topics vary but might include birds of the desert, basic desert ecology, or native plants. There is a lovely tea room on sight which seemed quite popular. I arrived at the park for it's opening hour of 8am and was the only one there. By 9am, it was starting to fill in more. If you want a very peaceful experience, then I recommend going early- you may have the place to yourself.
From journal Tucson: A Nature Lover's Dream
Tohono Chul Park
- April 27, 2005
- Rated 5 of 5 by
JaneTamlyn from North Reading, Massachusetts
Tohono Chul park is a small (49-acre) but charming park located on a former estate in Tucson, just north of the city proper. It includes many trails showing a wide variety of local plants and wildlife (lots of birds and occasionally other animals). All of the displays have been created to look completely natural, but with a garden designer's eye for texture, plant combination, and complimentary blooming schedule. There were flowers everywhere we turned, including on saguaro and prickly pear cactus. The buildings on the estate have been incorporated into the park as a gift shop, tea room serving lunch and afternoon tea, a museum and several art exhibit spaces, and the Garden for Children. It would only take a few hours to see the park fully, so this is a great activity for those who want some desert hiking but do not have the stamina (or patience) for some of the more arduous adventures in the area. Tohono Chul Park website is at http://www.tohonochulpark.org/index.html.
From journal Arizona Adventure
Tohono Chul Park
- January 18, 2001
- Rated 3 of 5 by
jmineo from L.A., California
Pluck your $2 donation down and walk down the winding nature trail through Tohono Chul's various gardens. You not only get a feel for the Sonoran Desert itself, you get a look at some of the desert's diverse plantlife. You may even catch a roadrunner or quail scurring across the trails. Be sure to tour through the Exhibit Hall, which is a renovated historic home. You can also enjoy breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea in the Tea Room and shop in the Greenhouse and Museum Shops. We ate lunch there in the converted house's courtyard. There was plenty of shade while we ate under the Mesquite trees to keep us cool. The food wasn't particularly noteworthy, especially given the distraction of the beautiful courtyard setting. Visiting this place for the first time in years of driving by, gave me an understanding why the desert is so cherished in Tucson. Tohono Chul Park exists to increase visitors' appreciation of the Sonoran Desert, its history and culture. It was definitely a way to experience the desert in a whole new way.
From journal Tucson - Oasis in the Sonoran Desert