Saguaro 'family' and Milky Way, Saguaro National Park, Arizona

© Christian Foto Az/Shutterstoc

Happy birthday, Saguaro National Park

If you know what these distinctively shaped cactuses are called, you can name this patch of public land in the Sonoran Desert. Saguaro National Park was established on this day in 1994 to protect giant saguaros like these. The slow-growing, prickly behemoths have been known to reach almost 80 feet into the Arizona sky. Just don't be tempted to climb one—take it from us, a closer look at that celestial display isn't worth getting jabbed by 3-inch saguaro spines.