Saguaro National Park Service
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
U.S. Department of the Interior Saguaro National Park Service Saguaro National Park Rincon Valley Area General In 1991, Congress authorized the pur- To ensure the preservation of this area, Information chase of a 4,011 acre expansion along Saguaro National Park began devel- the south boundary of the Rincon oping a formal management plan and Mountain District of Saguaro Nation- expects it to continue over the next few al Park. These lands preserve scenic years. If you would like to participate areas of the Sonoran Desert as well as in this planning process, please write a portion of the riparian area along to: Rincon Creek. Some of the lands within the expansion area remain pri- Superintendent vately owned and are closed to public Saguaro National Park use. 3693 South Old Spanish Trail Tucson, Arizona 85730 Trailhead The trailhead is located at the north Oro Escondido. This parking area is .4 end of Camino Loma Alta. Parking miles from the end of the road and was is at the end of the road. An area for provided for vehicles with horse trail- horse trailers is available at a wide ers due to limited space at the trail- spot on Camino Loma Alta, just past head. Trails Hope Camp Trail Arizona / Quilter Trail (7.2 mile round-trip) This trail heads The park’s portion of this north/ south east from the Camino Loma Alta trail enters from the Rincon Valley Trailhead offering spectacular views and continues over the dome of Mica of Tanque Verde Ridge and Rincon Mountain. Connects to campsites at Peak. This trail passes by two aban- Grass Shack and Manning Camp (per- doned line camps with windmills, mit required.) water towers and storage tanks. Ruiz and Coyote Wash Trails Ridge View Trail (4.2 mile loop) Explore the front- (1.6 miles round-trip) This trail climbs country with valley views and a jour- to a turnaround with a scenic view ney up a desert wash. Ruiz runs on a of the rocky side canyons of Tanque low ridge with fine views of saguaro Verde Ridge. cactus and desert vegetation. To Preserve and Camping and fires are prohibited in Protect Bicycles and motorized vehicles are not allowed in the expansion area. this area of the park. For information on camping in the park high country Hiking and horseback riding off the along the Arizona Trail contact the designated trails is prohibited. Visitor Center at (520) 733-5153. Please respect private property within All natural and cultural features in and adjacent to the park. Saguaro National Park are protected. Please leave them undisturbed. Pets, vehicles, hunting, or use of fire- arms are not permitted. History Hundreds of years of human use have ily farms, but soon large cattle ranches of the Area left their mark on the Rincon Val- dominated the area. Well into the 20th ley. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the century, the dominant ranches were people we now call Hohokam lived the Rocking K and X-9. The old ranch in small villages along the floodplain roads you will walk as trails today once of Rincon Creek. They harvested echoed to the shouts of cowboys and saguaro fruit, mesquite beans and the bellowing of cattle. Line camps other wild foods. They hunted for used for round-ups are now marked deer and bighorn sheep in the Rincon by rusting windmills and equipment. Mountains, and planted corn, beans Deer Camp to the west and Hope and squash in the fertile valley. The Camp at the east end of the trail are Hohokam left many petroglyphs as a two such camps. Both ranches are mark of their passing. part of the burgeoning suburban de- velopment around Tucson, but por- Hispanic and Anglo settlers wrestled a tions are now in public ownership in living from the high desert plains and your Saguaro National Park. saguaro forests too. The first of these European settlements were small fam- The Natural Scene The Rincon Mountains command the Within this wilderness highland are view from the Hope Camp Trail. Geo- mammals such as black bear, white- logically distinctive as a metamorphic tailed deer, mountain lion and coati core complex, these highlands rise along with hundreds of birds, reptiles, above the Catalina Fault at trail level. insects and amphibian species. From west to east, Tanque Verde Peak Today, along the Rincon Valley trails, (7,049’), Mica Mountain (8,666’) and you can explore a superb stand of giant Rincon Peak (8,482’) cut the skyline. saguaros. The southern exposure and As the only designated wilderness well-drained gravel soils of the foot- “sky island” in southern Arizona, the hills are perfect habitat for the larg- Rincons offer an entire mountain est cactus found in the U.S. Here too range for free-roaming wildlife and is the only United States stand of the freedom-loving visitors. tropical Feather Tree. EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA.