Affiliate Disclosure

How We Earn Revenue

The Lowdown Guide is an independently operated travel resource. To keep our content free for readers, we participate in affiliate programs with select travel partners. When you click certain links on our site and make a purchase or booking, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Our Affiliate Partners

We currently work with the following affiliate programs:

  • Viator — Tours, activities, and experience bookings. We earn a commission when you book a tour or activity through our Viator links. This includes Saguaro National Park jeep and van tours, Sonoran Desert nature outings, and combined Desert Museum experiences.
  • Expedia — Hotel and lodging reservations and travel packages. We earn a commission when you book accommodation through our Expedia links. Because there is no lodging inside the park, these point to the Tucson-area hotels most visitors base out of.

How Affiliate Links Work

Affiliate links look and function like regular links. When you click one, a small tracking code tells the partner that you came from our site. If you go on to make a purchase, the partner pays us a referral fee. The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our link or go directly to the partner's website.

On our site, affiliate links are typically found in:

  • Lodging booking call-to-action boxes (e.g., "Check Tucson-Area Lodging Prices")
  • Tour and activity recommendation sections (e.g., "Browse Saguaro & Sonoran Desert Tours")
  • Comparison guides and "which district is worth it" sections

What Is Not an Affiliate Link

Entry to Saguaro National Park itself requires only the standard National Park Service entrance fee, paid directly to the NPS (or covered by an America the Beautiful annual pass). We earn nothing from park entry, and we will always tell you plainly when the best option — including both park districts and the free roadside overlooks — costs nothing beyond that federal fee.

Our Editorial Independence

Affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content. Our recommendations are based on personal experience, local knowledge, and independent research. We recommend places and experiences we genuinely believe will improve your trip, regardless of whether an affiliate link is available.

We will never recommend a tour or lodging option solely because it offers an affiliate commission. If we feature something, it's because we believe it provides real value to visitors choosing between the East and West districts of Saguaro National Park — and we say plainly when the free, self-guided option is the better call.

FTC Compliance

In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, we disclose that this site contains affiliate links. This page serves as our comprehensive disclosure, and we also include brief disclosure notices near affiliate links throughout the site.

Questions?

If you have any questions about our affiliate relationships or how we fund this site, please contact us. We're happy to be transparent about how The Lowdown Guide operates.