Ranger Shaun’s headed out to the charming 2.1-mile metate loop for April’s gibbous moon. Weather allowing, we’ll see an always enjoyable Arizona sunset light up the sky as we make our way down into the river valley, and then explore walk among the mesquites looking for wildlife using flashlights, blacklights, and the light of the moon. [...]
Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area Stop by an information table where Ranger Nikki will teach you how to use your phone to identify and document your nature findings to help the scientific community. Click program title for more details.
Cave Creek Regional Park If you love taking pics of nature and the desert around you, then this is the program for you! Stop by an information table where Ranger Jacque will teach you how to use your phone to identify and document your nature findings to help the scientific community.
Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area Join Ranger Nikki on a 2-mile moderate hike to look for flowering plant life and a variety of pollinators, including butterflies.
A quiet morning walk to talk about the desert with Ranger Shaun. Click program title for more details. Come along with Ranger Shaun for a morning hike down Metate trail and back along part of Spur Cross trail. We’ll talk about the desert, water, and look for critters along the way. These trails are rated [...]
Invasive species are among the biggest threats to our park’s ecosystem health. They outcompete native plants, decrease biodiversity, and increase wildfire occurrences and magnitude. Desert Defenders is a citizen science program focused on removing invasive species in parks. The Invasive plant species have severely impacted our park’s natural ecosystems and contributed to our most recent [...]
Join Ranger Kevin for an exciting evening hike along the Spur Cross and Dragonfly Loop trails. We’ll be on the lookout for all kinds of evening-active critters, from skunks to scorpions, spiders, snakes, fox, coyote, deer, owls and more! The trail is rated easy-moderate with some rocky, uneven surfaces and some elevation change. Please bring [...]
Meet Ranger Kevin from 3:30pm to 5:00pm. Bring your burning desert questions! Try to stump the Ranger! Impress your friends and enemies alike with your new-found knowledge! We’ll also have a table full of interesting objects like bones, feathers, snake sheds, cactus boots and much more for you to touch and inspect. No registration required, just [...]
Join Ranger Eric for a guided hike to learn about the animals, plants, and ecology of the Sonoran Desert. We will hike 7.2 miles roundtrip on the Elephant Mountain loop, including segments of Spur Cross, Tortuga, and Elephant Mountain Trails. It will be on moderate to difficult grade, with frequently rocky or uneven ground. Please [...]
Join Ranger Eric for a guided hike along the Dragonfly Trail at Spur Cross and adjacent Jewel of the Creek Preserve to look for birds of the Sonoran Desert and riparian habitats. Along the way, we will discuss identification tips by sight and sound for birds, as well as their ecological roles. We will hike [...]
Enjoy an evening of stargazing with astronomy enthusiast Ranger Steve! We’ll be viewing a selection of objects through a small telescope. Possibilities include plants, galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters! We’ll also look at constellations with a laser pointer. Bring your questions! Family friendly program. Restrooms are available nearby, but please bring your own water/beverages. Please [...]
Join docent Coni for a 2 to 3 mile hike through the conservation area. We will hike in riparian areas with seasonal water in Cave Creek. Learn about cochineal, agave, mesquite, prickly pear, and we may see wildlife, petroglyphs, wildflowers….and all with wonderful views! Wear sturdy shoes and hat and bring at least 2 liters of water, a [...]
It’s back! Join Rangers Kevin and Derik for a day of hiking from Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area to Cave Creek Regional Park. Trail is approximately 11 miles in length, and utilizes the Spur Cross, Maricopa, and Go John trails. Trail conditions are rated moderate to difficult, so expect a considerable amount of loose rock, [...]
The walk with cover a 2-mile section of the Dragonfly Trail with Ranger Derik. Some of the topics covered during the hike will be native plants and animals found in the park as well as the history of the native peoples that called the park home. The trail is rocky and uneven in spots and [...]
Come explore one of Arizona’s riparian corridors! These narrow riverside ecosystems are an interesting break from the surrounding desert and often a haven for wildlife like birds and insects. Ranger Shaun loves to talk about bugs! Let’s go bird watching and chat! This is a 3.2-mile, medium difficulty hike. There will be port-a-johns available near [...]
Ranger Nikki will lead you on an easy to moderate terrain hike to learn about common desert plants such as cacti, legume trees and shrubs and search for signs of seasonal wildflower growth along the trails and creek. The route uses Spur Cross, Fairy Duster, Metate and Dragonfly Trails for approximately 5 miles. The trails [...]
Are you looking to do a difficult, challenging hike, but don’t want to go by yourself? Join Ranger Kevin for a 6.5-mile hike on the extremely difficult, but incredibly scenic, Spur Cross, Tortuga, and Elephant Mountain trails. We’ll keep an eye out for morning critters as we go. If you’re doing the 100 in 100 [...]
Maricopa County Parks-Native Seed Harvest Maricopa County Parks is hosting several native seed harvest events in April and May at several parks. The native seed harvested will later be used to help in park restoration projects and will be planted in invasive species removal areas and parks impacted by wildfires. Collecting and planting local seed [...]
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