1. Safari Park– is a great location for families who want something close to Rancho. It has some smaller Saguaro around 8-10 feet tall. They are clustered together near the cement walking path. They look great but aren’t the typical 20 foot cactus you may be thinking about. The park gives a variety of locations. There is an arch with green ivy, green grass, plants, large rocks, and benches too.

2. Stone House– there is one big Saguaro in the desert. It is big!  It is surrounded by small desert plants and lots of cholla. This can be dangerous area for little kids with all the cholla around. But it looks the most natural if you want that big Saguaro (locally).

3. St Francis of GV Church– has a beautiful Saguaro cactus, perfectly formed and healthy. It is on a dirt walking path, with a rock border so it’s not the most natural looking. The location offers other other great backdrops as well. There are agaves and chollas more in the background off the paths. This makes it not as dangerous for little feet. The plants are much bigger here and there are a few trees. This is a new location so I don’t have an example with a family yet. But I can show you what it looks like.

4. United Methodist church-this location is easy to get to and park. It has lots of beautiful plants and green cactus. It has some fun architectural features like a wood doorway, white arches, wood fence and cement steps.

5. Saguaro National Park West. If you really want a bunch of cactus, this is the best place to go. There is a travel fee ($75). We don’t need the park entrance fee, I take photos outside of the park. Here, you would have countless cactus in the backdrop. It is very natural and rough so the kids could get some cactus in their shoes if we aren’t careful or have them wear boots (I usually suggest boots for toddlers) *We would also need to leave earlier since we have a longer drive.

6. San Xavier Mission-Iconic Tucson location. Beautiful landscape gardens around the church with unique architectural features. There is a $40 travel fee for this location.