Picacho Peak – Picacho, AZ

Picacho http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=11271

Area near Picacho, AZ.

Picacho is an agricultural area located in in the Santa Cruz River Valley of Pinal County, in the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metro area. The community name derives from Spanish for “peak”. Elevation is 1,614 feet. Picacho is the scene of the only Civil War battle fought in Arizona.

Nearby Locations

Tucson – 54 miles http://www.visittucson.org

Tucson Arizona is located in south-central Arizona along the banks of the Santa Cruz River where Interstate 10 and 19 meet. The city’s elevation is 2,389 ft. and it is situated in a high desert valley surrounded by 4 mountain ranges: the Santa Catalinas to the north, the Rincons to the east, the Santa Ritas to the south and the Tucsons to the west. Tucson Arizona is the seat of the University of Arizona, which was founded in 1885, home to Pima Community College and is near a number of Indian reservations. It is the gateway to Saguaro National Park, which is located on both sides of the city. An expansive city covering substantial area, Tucson has many distinct neighborhoods along with several major incorporated suburbs of tucson including Oro Valley, Marana, Sahuarita, and South Tucson.

The city is home to more than 120 parks, including Reid Park Zoo. There are five public golf courses located throughout the area. Several scenic parks and points of interest are also located nearby, including the Tucson Botanical Gardens, Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon, and Biosphere 2 (just north of the city, in the town of Oracle), and Mt Lemmon located in the Coronado National Forest.

Tucson was probably first visited by Paleo-Indians, known to have been in southern Arizona by about 12,000 years ago. Recent archaeological excavations near the Santa Cruz River have located a village site dating from 4,000 years ago. It celebrates a diversity of cultures, architecture, and peoples. Tucson, too SAHN or TOO sahn, is one of the oldest towns in the United States. Tucson was orginally an Indian village called Stook-zone, meaning water at the foot of black mountain. Hugo O’Conor established the Tucson Presidio in 1775. August 20th, 1775 is considered Tucson’s birthday. Spanish settlers arrived in the area in 1776. Tucson officially became part of the United States with the Gadsden Purchase of 1854. Tucson served as capital of the Arizona Territory from 1867 to 1877.

Tucson boasts the best of both worlds...the progress and innovation of a metropolitan community and the friendly, caring atmosphere of a small town. Tucson’s rich cultural heritage centers around a unique blend of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American influences.

Tucson’s climate varies from the 2400 foot desert basin to the 9100 foot forests of the Santa Catalina mountains. The City’s dry desert air and winter sunshine make it a popular health and winter resort. The City is home to the University of Arizona and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The City’s industries include electronics and missile production.

The Tucson metropolitan area supports over 750,000 residents. As metropolitan Tucson continues to grow by nearly 2,000 new residents each month, the challenge of meeting citizen expectations also increases.

Phoenix – 68 miles http://www.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/phoenix/travel_phxguideindex.html http://www.phoenix.gov/PARKS/touridx.html

Phoenix is the capital of the state of Arizona as well as the most populous city in the American Southwest and fifth largest city in the United States. Founded in 1871, it has become the region’s primary political, cultural, economic, and transportation center. At an elevation of 1100 feet, it is situated in the biologically unique Sonoran Desert.

Greater Phoenix is located in the Sonoran Desert. Downtown Phoenix is flanked by the upscale city of Scottsdale to the east and north; and rapidly growing towns like Glendale and Peoria to the west. The southern edge of the Valley is bordered by South Mountain Park, the largest municipal park in the world. Beyond the mountain are the fashionable bedroom communities of Ahwatukee and Chandler. Further east are the college town of Tempe (home of Arizona State Univ.) as well as Mesa and Gilbert.

Phoenix is the hub of the rapidly growing American Southwest and the heart of a metropolis of over 3 million people. The city is a curious but delightful mix of Old West and New World. The area that now encompasses Phoenix was a center of the Hohokam culture, which built large canal systems and a network of towns and villages, whose remains may be viewed in the city to this day. White settlers discovered the remnants of the Hohokam culture in the 19th century. Although city tourism promoters brand Phoenix as the “Valley of the Sun,” most locals just refer to it as the Valley — as in the Salt River Valley, the region’s official name. Covering over 2,000 square miles, Greater Phoenix is actually larger than Los Angeles geographically. The city is both the capital of Arizona and the Maricopa County seat.

The Valley’s explosive growth began during World War II when military airfields were built in the area for the near-perfect flying weather. Many defense industries followed. Luke Air Force Base, west of Phoenix, is still a major training center for fighter pilots today.

Phoenix averages 300 days of sunshine a year. Despite the desert locale, daytime temperatures between November and April range from the upper 40s to 80s. Temperatures start to inch up toward the 90s and beyond in May. Occasional rain in the winter months is not unusual nor are temperatures dipping below freezing at night. Between May and October, it gets very, very hot. Phoenix averages triple digits for much of June through September. On top of the summer heat, the air turns uncomfortably humid in mid-July through early September due to monsoon conditions characterized by towering cumulus clouds, sudden dust storms and occasional downpours.

Overview of Phoenix Districts

Downtown - This area spans approximately two to three square miles, with main arteries running along Central Avenue and Washington/Jefferson Streets respectively. Three out of the five tallest skyscrapers in Arizona are in Downtown Phoenix proper.

Midtown - There are a handful of officially recognized and protected historic neighborhoods and a variety of cultural, performance, and sporting venues in this area of town.

West Phoenix - Includes Maryvale and Estrella, this area has seen its better days and is suffering urban decline. However, a highlight in the area includes the Cricket Pavilion which is a great place to see a concert.

North Phoenix - Includes Deer Valley, Desert View, North Mountain, North Gateway, and New Village. The Phoenix Mountains are located here and offer a plethora of hiking and outdoor activities.

Camelback East - A very upscale area of town which contains the famous Biltmore Hotel, Papago Park, the Phoenix Zoo, and world class resorts. The surrounding area is also known to feature expensive office space, upscale stores, and luxury homes.

South Phoenix - Includes Laveen.

Ahwatukee - An upscale neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona bordered on the north by South Mountain Regional Park, on the east by I-10 and the cities of Chandler and Tempe.

Casa Grande – 22 miles http://www.casagrandeaz.gov/web/guest/home

Casa Grande is a dynamic, involved community, a modern city with rural heritage and old-fashioned values. Its economic base is a mix of retail trade, factory outlet shopping, manufacturing and agriculture. Founded in 1879, Casa Grande was named for the famous Hohokam Indian Ruins 20 miles to the northeast. Midway between Phoenix and Tucson, the city has grown to be the largest community in western Pinal County since its incorporation in 1915.

Casa Grande is strategically located at the intersection of two interstate highways (I-8 and I-10) in an area known as Arizona’s Golden Corridor. Once dependent on agriculture and mining, the community has evolved into a diversified full-service area with manufacturing, retail trade, government and tourist-related employment.

Eloy – 6 miles http://www.eloyaz.org

Eloy is located below the I-8, I-10 split in Pinal County and is only 50 minutes south of the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metro area. The community was named by the Southern Pacific Railroad, which built a switch here in the early 1900’s. The name Eloy is derived from the European name meaning the “Chosen” or the “Chosen One”. The city of Eloy is growing incredibly fast... the Eloy City Limits now covers over 99 square miles. The City offers a varied range of community facilities including a library, an airport, three recreation centers, eight parks, a swimming pool with spray park area, four tennis courts, two volleyball courts, a skateboard park, and over 700 acres of industrial park space.

Coolidge – 20 miles http://www.coolidgeaz.com

Coolidge is the commercial center of Arizona’s cotton industry. In 1925, after construction of the Coolidge Dam transformed the flat desert into rich farm and ranch land, R J Jones laid out an 80-acre site to found the city. The city’s name honors the President Calvin Coolidge who dedicated the dam in 1930. From Coolidge’s founding until the early 1950’s, the economy was mainly dependent on agriculture and mining. Growth was steady until the late 1940s when water use reached a maximum and mechanical equipment replaced farm workers. Its economy has diversified to include manufacturing, tourism, and regional trade and services for agricultural producers and farm families. The warm dry winter climate makes it an ideal tourist and retirement center. Hundreds of thousands of visitors annually visit Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Coolidge.

Marana – 32 miles http://www.marana.com

Although a relatively young municipality, the community has a long and rich history with more than 4,200 years of continuous human occupation in Marana and the surrounding middle Santa Cruz Valley. Long before the coming of the Spanish Conquistadors and missionaries in the 17th Century, the area was inhabited by the Hohokam people who developed extensive canal systems and used waters from the Santa Cruz River to irrigate crops.

The first European to visit the Marana area was a Jesuit Priest, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino in 1694. In 1775, Juan Bautista de Anza, Captain of the Presidio of Tubac led an expedition north along the Santa Cruz River to found the city of San Francisco. With the area under the jurisdiction of the United States in 1854, prospectors seeking mineral riches intensified their efforts in the region. Gold was not discovered in abundance, but by 1865, high-grade copper ore was being shipped from mines in the Silver Bell Mountains.

Rail transportation came in 1881 and signaled a major change in the area. It gave Marana its first identification as a specific place by appearing on Southern Pacific Railroad maps in 1890. “Maraña” is a Spanish word meaning a jungle, a tangle or a thicket and was chosen as an appropriate name by the railroad workers as they hacked their way through the dense brush. With the early establishment of mining and ranching, it was not until after WWI that Marana became primarily an agricultural center, producing mainly cotton, but also wheat, barley, alfalfa and pecans.
During World War II, the impact of the rising importance of military power came quickly to Marana. The Marana airfield (1942-1945) was the largest pilot-training center in the world during WWII, training some 10,000 flyers, and five Titan missile sites were later located in the area as part of a complex of ballistic missile installations built around Tucson.

In March 1977, the Town incorporated about 10 square miles and in August the 1,500 townspeople elected their first town council. In early 1979, the town began to grow through an aggressive annexation policy and is nearly 120 square miles with an estimated population of 33,000.

Oro Valley – 48 miles http://www.ci.oro-valley.az.us

Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located 6 miles north of Tucson, Arizona in Pima County. Oro Valley is situated in the western foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains at the base of Pusch Ridge. The Tortolita Mountains are located north of the town, and vistas of the Tucson valley are to the south. The town occupies the middle Cañada del Oro Valley. Oro Valley hosts a large number of residents from around the US who maintain second or winter homes in the town.

The area of Oro Valley has been inhabited discontinuously for nearly two thousand years by various groups of people. The Native American Hohokam tribe lived in the Honeybee Village located in the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains on Oro Valley’s far north side around 500 AD. Hohokam artifacts continue to be discovered in the Honeybee Village that the Hohokam inhabited continuously for nearly 700 years, and studied by archaeologists around the globe.

Oro Valley has attempted to strike a balance between population growth and environmental preservation. The town has attracted a number of country clubs, golf courses, and resorts, helping to solidify its reputation as one of the Southwest’s most affluent communities, with one of the highest median household incomes in the region.

Oro Valley presently encompasses approximately 34 square miles (2005), featuring an expanding public parks system, notable outdoor amenities, upscale retailing ventures, and one of the statistically highest performing public school systems in Arizona.

Florence – 30 miles http://www.town.florence.az.us

Florence is in Pinal County midway between Phoenix and Tucson. Colonel Levi Ruggles, an Indian agent, staked and platted the town in 1866. Sources cite different origins for the town’s name, but all agree it was someone’s sister or daughter. By the 1920’s, the area had become the agricultural center of the county.

The Florence business district is still on Main Street and, aside from the obvious improvements, downtown remains much as it must have been in the 1880s. Both the visitors and residents appreciate the diversity of the community. Florence offers the convenience and lifestyle available in a small western community, yet is only 45 minutes away from the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas. Originally incorporated in 1900, Florence, at an elevation of 1,493 feet, has been the county seat since its formation in 1875.

Tempe – 65 miles http://www.tempechamber.org/index.php

Welcome to Tempe, Arizona’s sixth-largest city! The City of Tempe is an exciting example of Southwestern hospitality, prosperity and success. In the center of the Valley of the Sun, Tempe covers approximately 40 square miles and is home to more than 165,000 residents. While enjoying dynamic growth, the city has maintained its unique personality and style through a careful and masterful blending of the new with the old. Respecting its heritage and energetically planning for the future, Tempe is a wonderful mix of history and modern urban amenities.

Tempe has a distinct identity as an emerging destination city. Replete with all the offerings of a city rich in economics, technology, culture, tourism and educational resources, Tempe offers a blend of quality new developments, revitalization and redevelopment, prestigious institutions such as Arizona State University and celebrated traditions. Tempe brings it all together – bright Arizona sun, challenging places to work, diverse cultures, a myriad of recreational opportunities, the best in entertainment and an unparalleled Southwestern lifestyle. Tempe is the place to live, work and play!

Mesa – 70 miles http://www.mesaaz.gov/Home

Mesa, located in Maricopa County, is one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. There are solid reasons for Mesa’s growth: low costs of doing business; reasonable tax structure; skilled and well-educated workforce; low crime rate, superior schools; affordable housing; and an excellent quality of life.

Mesa is the third-largest city in Arizona and the nation’s 38th-largest city. The City provides the advantages of a thriving metropolis while maintaining the feel of a suburban environment. Just 15 miles east of Phoenix, Mesa covers 132 square miles.

With dynamic recreational, educational and business environments, Mesa enjoys the best in a variety of amenities including parks within easy walking distance from home, a variety of sports facilities that cater to athletes young and old, highly rated golf courses for every skill level, a diversity of special events and community festivals, and Mesa’s ever-popular Chicago Cubs Spring Training baseball.

Area Attractions

Picacho Peak State Park http://www.azparks.gov/Parks/PIPE/index.html

Picacho Peak State Park is located between Casa Grande and Tucson just off Interstate 10 in Pinal County, Arizona. Its distinctive centerpiece spire, Picacho Peak, is visible for many miles rising above the desert floor. The summit rises to an elevation of 3374. The place name is redundant: “picacho” means “peak” in Spanish.

The Picacho Peak State Park officially opened to the public on Memorial Day, May 30, 1968. The unique shape of the 1,500-foot Picacho Peak has been used as a landmark by travelers since prehistoric times. One of the first recordings was in the 1700’s by the Anza Expedition as it passed through the area. Picacho Peak is not a volcanic cone, but is part of a volcanic flow that has been partially eroded away. It has long been known for its spring display of wildflowers. If rains come at the right times in the winter, the spring will bring an explosion of gold to the bajadas of the mountain that appear as a tapestry of color. The wildflowers are predominantly Mexican Gold Poppies.

Though set next to an interstate highway, the park, especially its west face, possesses a beautiful Sonoran Desert setting. From the top, hikers experience a majestic view south to the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, northwest to Tabletop Mountain near Casa Grande, north to the many mountain ranges surrounding Phoenix, and an interesting view west to where the north-running Santa Cruz River runs underground supporting farms in a beautiful desert valley.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument http://www.arizona-leisure.com/casa-grande-ruins.html

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, in Coolidge, Arizona, just northeast of the city of Casa Grande, preserves a group of Hohokam structures.

The national monument consists of the ruins of multiple structures surrounded by a compound wall constructed by the Hohokam, who farmed the Gila Valley in the early 1200s. “Casa Grande” is Spanish for “big house” and refers to the largest structure on the site, which is what remains of a four story structure that may have been abandoned by the mid-1400s. The structure is made of caliche, and has managed to survive the extreme weather conditions for about seven centuries.

For more than a thousand years, prehistoric farmers inhabited much of present-day southern Arizona. When the first Europeans arrived, all that remained of the ancient cultures were the ruins of villages, irrigation canals and various artifacts.

In 1694, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino described his visit to Casa Grande, or “Big House,” as a 4-story structure built by the Hohokam in the mid-1300s. Constructed with layers of caliche mud, the walls of the tower are 4 1/2 feet thick at the base. This mysterious structure, with holes in 3 walls, is believed to have been used for astronomical observation. Casa Grande is the largest structure built by the Hohokam and represents the height of their architecture.

Casa Grande Ruins, the nation’s first archeological preserve, protects the Casa Grande and other archeological sites within its boundaries, including remains of a walled village near the Big House and vestiges of other villages nearby.

Saguaro National Park http://www.nps.gov/sagu

The Giant Saguaro is only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson. Saguaro National Park is composed of two distinct districts: The Rincon Mountain District and the Tucson Mountain District. The Tucson Mountain District lies on the west side of Tucson, Arizona, while the Rincon Mountain District lies on the east side of Tucson. Both districts were formed to protect and exhibit forests of their namesake plant: the Saguaro Cactus. The saguaro blossom is the state flower of Arizona. In late summer, the Tohono O’odham people come to Saguaro National Park to harvest the saguaro fruit.

Coronado National Forest http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado

The forest was named for Fancisco Vasquez de Coronado, who journeyed in 1540 to the Zuni and Hopi villages through part of what is today the Coronado National Forest. The Coronado National Forest covers 1,780,000 acres of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Elevations range from 3000 feet to 10,720 feet in twelve widely scattered mountain ranges or “sky islands” that rise dramatically from the desert floor, supporting plant communities as biologically diverse as those encountered on a trip from Mexico to Canada.

Views are spectacular from these mountains, and visitors may experience all four seasons during a single day’s journey, wandering through the desert among giant saguaro cactus and colorful wildflowers in the morning, enjoying lunch beside a mountain stream, and playing in the snow later in the afternoon.

San Carlos Indian Reservation http://www.itcaonline.com/tribes_sancarl.html

The San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, in southeastern Arizona, was established in 1871, and is home to a conglomeration of Apache tribes relocated there from traditional Apache homelands in Arizona and New Mexico. Its largest communities are San Carlos and adjacent Peridot.

San Carlos Reservation is one of the poorest Native American communities in the United States, with the median annual household income being approximately $14,000. About 60% of the people live under the poverty line, and one-fourth of the active labor force is unemployed. Currently the largest employer on the reservation is the government which operates many agencies there. In addition to government work, cattle ranching operations contribute approximately $1 million in annual livestock sales.

Encompassing 2,910.707 square miles of land area, the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation lies in northern Graham, southeastern Gila, and eastern Pinal Counties. It is the tenth-largest Indian reservation in land area. Landscape of the area varies considerably, including desert, alpine meadows, and Ponderosa Pine forest.

The region is blessed with a variety of geological, historic and recreational attractions. The temperate climate of the Reservation makes hunting for big and small game, such as elk, bighorn sheep, javelina, antelope and migratory birds, enjoyable in every season.

The hub of recreational activity is San Carlos Lake. A fisherman’s paradise, it was formed by the construction of Coolidge Dam and is rimmed by 158 miles of shoreline and stores. The lake contains 19,500 acre feet of water, making it the largest body of water in Arizona.

Many diverse opportunities exist for the angler on the San Carlos Reservation with both warm water and cold water fisheries available all year round. In addition, more than 100 small ponds, called tanks, dot the area, along with many smaller lakes and streams. Talkalai Lake is fully stocked, and fishing for trout bass, channel, catfish, crappie and bluegill is excellent. Permits are required.

More water-based recreation opportunities are available on the Salt River. U.S. 60, the direct route between Show Low and Globe, cuts through the Salt River Canyon which is often referred to as the mini Grand Canyon. Whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing are popular sports as the snow melts and runs into the river.

The Tribe proudly opened its first Cultural Center September 12, 1995, located in Peridot, Arizona on Highway 70. For the first time, the San Carlos Apaches can tell their own story of their people. A special exhibit, Window on Apache Culture, is housed in the center and describes the Apache’s Spiritual beginnings and ceremonies such as the Changing Women Ceremony. Educational programs and demonstrations are available for schools and other groups.

San Carlos was, for a time, home to the legendary Apache chief Geronimo. The San Carlos Apache Tribe is the history of their native people. They have their ceremonies in the mountains or the Holy grounds. They speak their minds about their own culture; they are the voice of the people. The Apaches learn their own language, and sing their own language. The elders sometimes speak the Apache language to the toddlers so when they grow up they speak the language that the elders have taught them. The San Carlos Apache give prayers to their young ones.

Biosphere 2 http://www.b2science.org

It wasn’t many years ago that Biosphere 2, nestled in the foothills of Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains about 30 miles north of Tucson, was the laughing stock of scientific research. Now, Biosphere 2 Center has become a major tourist attraction in the Tucson area.

Built in the late 1980s with $150 million in funding from Texas oil magnate Edward Bass, Biosphere 2 was designed as an airtight replica of Earth’s environment (Biosphere 1). This 7,200,000-cubic-foot sealed glass and space-frame structure contains 5 biomes, including a 900,000-gallon ocean, a rain forest, a desert, agricultural areas and a human habitat.

Some of the early designers and managers were interested in space travel and the possibility of colonizing the Moon or Mars. By building Biosphere 2 and sealing people inside, they hoped to learn what problems would arise from living in a closed system. So it was that in 1991, a colony of 8 people set about to live inside Biosphere 2 for two years.

The people who were selected to be Biospherians and live inside Biosphere 2 during the two closure periods came from 7 different countries. All spent several years in training to become more proficient in their own fields as well as gaining expertise in the skills of the others.

The first crew of Biospherians (4 women and 4 men) entered Biosphere 2 on September 26, 1991. The crew members remained inside for two years despite various problems, including limited agricultural productivity, and emerged on September 26, 1993. After a 6-month transition period, a second crew of 7 biospherians (5 men and 2 women) entered Biosphere 2. Unfortunately, after a number of physical and social problems developed, the project soon suffered scientific disdain and public ridicule before these experiments were suspended in 1994. Since then, there have been no resident crews living inside Biosphere 2, and no future human habitation is planned.

Sonoran Desert National Monument http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/natmon/son_des.html

The Sonoran Desert National Monument contains more than 487,000 acres of Sonoran Desert landscape. The Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse of the North American deserts, and the monument exemplifies this desert setting. The most striking aspect of the plant community within the monument is the extensive saguaro cactus forest. The monument contains three distinct mountain ranges, the Maricopa, Sand Tank and Table Top Mountains, as well as the Booth and White Hills, all separated by wide valleys. The monument is also home to three congressionally designated wilderness areas, many significant archaeological and historic sites, and remnants of several important historic trails.

Of all the North American deserts, the Sonoran desert is the most biologically diverse and surely one of the most spectacular. Some of the best of this arid landscape makes up the Sonoran Desert National Monument in Arizona. These lands contain important archaeological sites and a spectacular diversity of plants and animals, including the giant saguaro cactus and the majestic desert bighorn sheep.

The Sonoran Desert National Monument covers half a million acres of magnificent desert landscape, much of it remote and undisturbed. The Monument is home to the famous and spectacular saguaro cactus, a giant species that can grow to 50 feet and live more than 200 years. The saguaro forests, along with palo-verde trees, ironwood, mesquite, desert honeysuckle, prickly pear and jumping cholla, fill wide valleys which separate desert mountain ranges. After a wet winter, the seemingly harsh landscape of the desert bursts into bloom with wildflowers and brilliant yellow of the brittlebush and saguaro fruit.

Important natural waterholes, called tinajas, provide oases in the Monument for the natural desert dwellers like mule deer, javelina, mountain lion, gray fox, and bobcat. Numerous bat species populate the Monument, including the endangered lesser long nose bat. Over 200 species of birds make their home in Sonoran Desert Monument, including raptors, the elf owl and the western screech owl. Numerous amphibians and reptiles roam here, including the Sonoran desert tortoise and the red-backed whiptail.

The Sonoran Desert National Monument contains many rock art sites, lithic quarries and scattered artifacts of ancient human history. Vekol Wash is believed to have been an important prehistoric travel and trade corridor between the Hohokam and tribes located in what is now Mexico. Signs of large villages and permanent habitat sites occur throughout the area, particularly along the bajadas of the Table Top Mountains. Occupants of these villages were the ancestors of today’s O’odham, Quechan, Cocopah, Maricopa and other tribes.

The Monument also contains a much-used trail corridor twenty miles long with remnants of several important historic trails, including the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, the Mormon Battalion Trail, and the Butterfield Overland Stage Route. The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is the first National Historic Trail, established by Congress in 1990; Juan Bautista de Anza, a Spanish commander, led a group of soldiers and their families to found a presidio and mission near the San Francisco Bay. Plans are underway to include 600 miles of the route that lie within Mexico, thereby making the Trail the first International Historic Trail in the world.

The monument offers many opportunities to explore and discover the secrets of the Sonoran Desert and includes three wilderness areas, the North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness, the South Maricopa Mountains Wilderness, and the Table Top Wilderness. These wilderness areas offer excellent opportunities for solitude and unconfined recreation. The North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness has two hiking and equestrian trails, the 9-mile Margie’s Cove Trail and the 6-mile Brittlebush Trail. The Table Top Wilderness also has two hiking and equestrian trails, the 7-mile Lava Flow Trail and the 3-mile Table Top Trail. A section of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail crosses the national monument. This congressionally designated trail parallels the Butterfield Overland Stage Route, the Mormon Battalion Trail, and the Gila Trail. A four-wheel-drive accessible route follows the trail corridor for approximately 10 miles through the national monument. Other activities opportunities include backpacking, stargazing, camping, hunting, motor touring, sightseeing, photography, and horse back riding.

Ironwood Forest National Monument http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/natmon/ironwood.html

Taking its name from one of the longest living trees in the Arizona desert, the 129,000-acre Ironwood Forest National Monument is a true Sonoran Desert showcase. Keeping company with the ironwood trees are mesquite, palo verde, creosote, and saguaro, blanketing the monument floor beneath rugged mountain ranges named Silver Bell, Waterman and Sawtooth. In between, desert valleys lay quietly to complete the setting.

Elevations here range from 1,800 to more than 4,200 feet. Three areas within the monument, the Los Robles Archeological District, the Mission of Santa Ana del Chiquiburitac and the Cocoraque Butte Archeological District, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Primitive camping, hiking, mountain biking, wildlife and plant viewing, horseback riding, photography, sightseeing, wildflower viewing in spring, hunting, birdwatching, fossil and geologic sightseeing, historic and archaeological sites.

Ragged Top Mountain is the biological and geological crown jewel of the national monument. Several endangered and threatened species live here, including the Nichols turk’s head cactus and the lesser long-nosed bat. The national monument also contains habitat for the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl. The desert bighorn sheep dwelling in the region are the last viable population indigenous to the Tucson basin. The area holds abundant rock art sites and other archaeological objects of scientific interest. Humans have inhabited the area for more than 5,000 years. More than 200 sites from the prehistoric Hohokam period (600 A.D. to 1440 A.D.) have been recorded in the area. In more modern times, the area was a source of minerals and continues to support active mining operations today.