Saguaro National Park, 2700 N. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona

It's home to the country's largest cacti and was established as a National Monument in 1933. It was upgraded to national park status in 1994 and consists of over 91,00 acres, divided into two districts. Take the loop drives and enjoy this desert beauty! You just might also see a coyote.

 

White Sands National Park, 19955 Highway 70 West, Alamogordo, New Mexico

This is the world's largest gypsum dune field and it is surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range. It was designated as a National Monument in 1933 and was re-designated as a National Park in 2019. It's a pretty cool place and while we didn't do any hiking on this very windy day, we did take the loop drive. It doesn't have the diversity of Yellowstone or Death Valley but is definitely worth seeing once. Cheers for our National Park System and its rangers!