Saguaro National Park – Arizona

Not everyone who loves wildlife loves the fur- or feather-covered kinds. Saguaro NP offers up wildlife of the decidedly more prickly, hardy, and resourceful variety.

With more than 91,000 acres, this national park is home to jackrabbits, javelinas, kangaroo rats, and plenty of desert reptiles like tortoises, iguanas, regal horned lizards, Gila monsters, and — ophiophobes beware — six species of rattlesnake.

Even birders have something to see here, as birds often nest inside the park’s iconic cacti. Visit between October and April to avoid the intense Arizona heat.