signal hill trail

You can get quite close to them. There are awesome views of the valley below. If you are on the auto loop be sure to finish the circle. We had fun counting "arms" on the saguaro. I think our high was 14.

Went with a school field trip. We had a guide that was great. There were lots of little classes for the kids and stories that helped bring out the history of the area. The petroglyphs were up on the hill. You can see them on several of the rocks all at the top of the hill. From the top you also have a very nice view of the valley up to the town of Marana. The hill is only accessible by walking. There are picnic tables. I believe it said it was a fee area.

If you've spent the whole day at the Desert Museum nearby, then the Bajada loop drive, this is a great way to finish off the day at sunset. It's a short well marked walk up and down some stone stairs to the top of the hill. You can see the petroglyphs easily without climbing over the rail.

The petroglyphs that are the reason for taking this hike are somewhat hard to see (especially as you can't actually climb the rocks they're on) but the hike is short so if you're doing the Bajada Loop you may as well stop, just don't go out of your way for it.

Nice place to stop on the west side for an easy stroll in Saguaro West. Trail has a short uphill walk to the petroglyph site. Great in the morning or evening. Gravel road to get to the trailhead. Pit toilets and a big parking area. There is also a picnic area.

Soon after entering Saguaro West, I stopped at the Visitor Center to talk to a ranger. In response to my question, "what would you suggest for 1-2 hours?" the recommendation was that I drive the Bajada Loop Drive (Hohokam Road) and take a diversion toward Signal Hill to see the Hohokam petroglyphs.The allure of these petroglyphs is that they are readily accessible, i.e., you can see them without having to climb, go underground or otherwise exhaust yourself. The trail is a piece of cake. I didn't time it, but it didn't take long before I started seeing the many markings. Quite honestly, I'm not sure what to make of petroglyphs, but I am glad that I could easily make out the 1000-year-old rock engravings. After all this time, scorching heat and desert downpours, the petroglyphs are still there, which is pretty amazing to me.Also, it's a nice view from the end of the trail. I was there around midday, but I imagine it would be really cool near dawn or dusk.

If you happen to visit Saguaro National Park (West), a short walk of about 10 minutes or so along the Signal Hill Trail leads you to Ancient petroglyphs created between 300 to 1450 A.D. by the Hohokam people. To see this ancient rock art which is over 1000 years old, is quite fascinating and interesting to experience.

Really loved that trail.Short trail, easy to moderate, easy to enjoy.Brings you to beautiful vistas and to an area where you can see ancient petroglyphs.I really recommend doing this trail.Hint: great spot to watch the sunset.Also enjoy the Bajada scenic loop...

Starting from the Signal Hill Picnic area, the Signal Hill Trail has been made very easy and safe to navigate, provided you can handle wide steps. The view from the top of Signal Hill is breathtaking. The petroglyphs are wonderful to view, and make you think of what it must have been like thousands of years ago for those inhabitants. Many of them, you can get close to from the trail. the drive to the picnic area allows for magnificent scenic viewing of Saguaro National Park. The Visitor's Center of the park is chock full of helpful people. There are also many other well-marked hiking trails which look to be beautiful, but we did not take the time to do as we wanted to see the sunset from Gate's Pass, which is about a 25-30 min drive minute drive from Signal Hill, and well worth the trip.There is NO FEE for the attraction, but there is a park entrance fee which is very reasonable at $10 per carload and is good for 7 days.

We visited in October of 2012. The hike to the petroglyphs is not very long at all. We would rate it as easy; although anyone who has a hard time climbing -- or weak knees/ankles -- may have some problems at the end to hike up to the top of a small hill to see the petroglyphs up close on the boulders. There are petroglyphs viewable on boulders from the bottom area. Standing there and thinking how centuries ago the natives of old drew these pictures is a bit mind-boggling! Worth a stop if you're visiting Saguaro NP West.

There was a storm approaching so we ran to the top to see the petroglyphs and they were truly amazing. The trail is only about 1/2 mile round trip and is the one I wouldn't miss in Saguaro Nat'l Park

We spent a couple of hours at Saguaro National Park - Tucson and enjoyed the Signal Hill Trail. Easy, short hike with lots of steps to see the Hohokam petroglyphs. The drive on the gravel road takes longer than the hike but is a desert beauty with all of the saguaro cactus, ocotillo, prickly pear cactus, and cholla cactus. Even the short hike, you need hats, sunscreen, and plenty of water due to the intense heat. Would recommend the Junior Ranger badge program for children, which includes a 15% off coupon to be used at the gift store. Super friendly rangers and staff. An amazing sight to see all of the old, giant saguaros everywhere!

The Adventures of the Two Wise Oneswww.twowiseones.comThis hike is located in Saguaro West just off of the Hohokam Loop Road on the north spur. Parking is plentiful. The hike is rated easy.The Two Wise Ones headed out over the easy trail to Signal Hill. It was an easy hike that both elderly and kids would enjoy. The trail meandered across a wash and up a small hill. At the bottom of the hill was the first sighting of the rock art of the ancient ones. These prehistoric peoples etched various designs into the cliffs and atop the hill. No one is exactly sure what the designs mean but it is fun guessing. The Two Wise Ones hooked up with a family of kids. They all had a hoot trying to guess the meaning. One little boy was really funny in his descriptions. “That is a giant dinosaur chasing after a rattlesnake while the sun in the sky is going to sleep.” Oh kids are delightful.This is one of the don’t miss hikes in Saguaro West. Be sure to pick up a trail brochure at the Visitors Center before heading out. It’s so much more meaningful knowing what you are looking at.