![]() ![]() Though you will see giant saguaros in and around Phoenix, you’ll find the largest concentration of these symbols of the Southwest at Saguaro National Park in Tucson. The Center for Desert Living Trail showcases ideas and strategies for sustainable living in this seemingly inhospitable environment. You’ll even have the opportunity to learn about desert plants from all over the world - and compare them to those living in the Sonoran Desert - on the Desert Discovery Loop Trail. ![]() You’ll find gorgeous wildflowers along the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail if you visit in the early spring or late winter. ![]() To understand how the people of the desert use these plants for food, shelter, tools, and cultural activities, walk along the Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail. The paved and accessible Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail offers great views of the surrounding mountains and an opportunity to explore the surrounding desert. Enjoy the permanent garden exhibits and temporary art installations along the trails as you discover the desert and the amazing plants that have adapted to this unique environment. Stroll the themed trails to learn about the amazing plants of the Sonoran Desert, including towering cacti, succulents, and colorful desert wildflowers. If you want to learn more about the plants of the Sonoran Desert, visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Papago Park. The Tom’s Thumb Trail has no drinking water, so don’t forget to bring your own.īesides hiking, you can use the trails in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve for biking, running, or horseback riding. The Tom’s Thumb Trailhead is the least busy and offers access to more strenuous trails, from the vertical Tom’s Thumb to a flatter but rockier one. You’ll also find accessible nature trails at the Lost Dog Wash Trailhead and the Brown’s Ranch Trailhead. You’ll find water, restrooms, and shaded ramadas here. It is also the best introduction to the area. The busiest and largest trailhead is Gateway, offering access to the accessible Bajada Nature Trail and many others. The area is accessible via a series of interconnected multiuse trails, with trailheads in a few different locations. McDowell Sonoran Preserve, ScottsdaleĪ large, protected, and sustainable desert habitat in Scottsdale, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve features some of the most stunning desert scenery. On Silent Sunday, you can park near Central Avenue and walk, jog, or bike up the mountain.ĭCA88 / Shutterstock 2. Pro Tip: The scenic summit road is closed to all motorized vehicles on Silent Sunday, the fourth Sunday of each month. Throughout the park, you’ll see not only desert vegetation, but also thousands of petroglyphs left behind by the Hohokam, the ancient people who lived here before Phoenix existed.įor an unexpected and different attraction, stop at the Mystery Castle in the foothills of the mountain. Then drive the 5.5-mile scenic summit road to the top and enjoy the views from the Dobbins Lookout, the highest point you can access in the park.īesides hiking and biking trails to explore on your own, the park offers guided horseback tours. After stopping there, take a stroll on the paved and accessible Judith Tunnel Trail for a close-up desert experience. The visitor center offers an introduction to the plants, animals, and natural history of the Sonoran Desert. A scenic road leads to the top, and more than 50 miles of trails crisscross the protected desert. The nation’s largest wilderness park within city limits, South Mountain Park and Preserve preserves about 16,000 acres of desert. South Mountain Park And Preserve, Phoenix Here’s where to go to get a taste of the beauty of the Sonoran Desert.Īntsdrone / Shutterstock 1. This makes it one of the best places to experience this unique environment. The good thing about Phoenix is that it preserves thousands of acres of the desert untouched, even in the middle of the city. This combination has attracted people for centuries, and today the Sonoran Desert is home to several cities, including one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, Phoenix and its vicinity. Though it gets extremely hot during the summer, the winter and the shoulder seasons are pleasant. The Sonoran Desert is a gorgeous place filled with unique plants and wildlife, plenty of sunshine, and enough water to sustain life. It is the only place where the giant saguaro, the symbol of the Southwest and the state flower of Arizona, grows. Known as the greenest and hottest desert in the world, the Sonoran Desert stretches from Sonora, Mexico, through Arizona and the southern part of California. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |