| Skyline Regional Park | |
|---|---|
| Type | Mountain preserve |
| Location | Buckeye, Arizona |
| Area | 8700 acres |
Skyline Regional Park is an 8700-acre mountain preserve located in west-central Maricopa County, Arizona. The park is at the southern edge of the White Tank Mountains, within the arid Sonora Desert. [1] The park is on a 25-year lease from BLM to the city of Buckeye, after which it reverts to the city. [2]
It opened in 2016 with seven miles of trails, which have expanded to over 20 miles with a of mix of hiking, [3] biking [4] and equestrian trails. [5] The most popular trail is the four mile Turnbuckle Loop Trail. [3] [6] The Crest Mountain summit vista offers unobstructed views of the Sierra Estrella Mountains to the northeast, Gila Bend Mountains in the southwest and the Big Horn Mountains Wilderness and the Hassayampa Plain in the northwest. [2] [7] The Javelina summit offers unobstructed views of downtown Phoenix, the Sierra Estrallas and the extensive desert plains. [8] The Skyline Crest trail contains the highest peak, [9] at 3152 feet, with a key col of 2760 ft. [10] Other amenities include ramadas and shaded picnic and dry camping areas. [11] [12] With clear desert nights and remoteness from urban lights, the park is known for its dark skies. [13] Stargazing activities are regularly scheduled; the park hosts "Star Party" events where visitors can learn about the night sky from local astronomers. [14] In 2018 the park added 0.6 miles of accessible trails that can be used by strollers and wheelchairs. Bicycles and horses are not allowed on these trails. These trails have educational interpretive panels about native plants and animals. [15] Guided group hikes are scheduled monthly. [16]
Also see: Flora of the Sonoran Desert
Also see: Fauna of the Sonoran Desert
The landscape is desert and mountain. Desert mule deer, javelina, desert fox, raptors and Sonoran Desert tortoise are found in the park. Vegetation includes ironwood, palo verde and mesquite trees; many types of cacti are also found. [2]
The mountains were formed through tectonic activities as part of a detachment fault sometime in the mid-Tertiary period, about 30 million years ago. Fairly young in geologic terms, it has not been subject to the forces of erosion for long and retains an extremely rugged topography composed of rocky fault ridges and deep canyons. During seasonal heavy rainfall, accumulated water tends to rush rapidly through the steep canyons, over time scouring out a number of depressions or "tanks" in the white granite near the base of the mountains. (Copied content from White Tank Mountains; see that page's history for attribution.)
Buckeye is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is Arizona's largest city by area, and it is the westernmost suburb in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,502, up from 50,876 in 2010, and 6,537 in 2000. It was the fastest-growing city in the United States for 2017, 2018, and 2021.
The Sonoran Desert is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States. It is the hottest desert in both Mexico and the United States. It has an area of 260,000 square kilometers (100,000 sq mi).
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Pinnacle Peak is a granite summit located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The peak rises to an elevation of 3,169 feet (966 m). It is located within the 150-acre (61 ha) Pinnacle Peak Park, operated by the City of Scottsdale Park District. Part of the Sonoran Desert, the park is home to a variety of native desert flora and fauna. Hikers utilize a 1.75 mile trail to explore the area, though rock climbing skills are needed to reach the summit.
McDowell Peak is located in the McDowell Mountains, to the northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. Its height is 4,036 feet (1,230 m). McDowell Peak is located approximately half a mile north of the easily recognizable Thompson Peak, and shares a ridge with Drinkwater Peak. It is bordered on the south by Bell Pass, and on the north by Windgate Pass.
Arizona is a landlocked state situated in the southwestern region of the United States of America. It has a vast and diverse geography famous for its deep canyons, high- and low-elevation deserts, numerous natural rock formations, and volcanic mountain ranges. Arizona shares land borders with Utah to the north, the Mexican state of Sonora to the south, New Mexico to the east, and Nevada to the northwest, as well as water borders with California and the Mexican state of Baja California to the southwest along the Colorado River. Arizona is also one of the Four Corners states and is diagonally adjacent to Colorado.
Saguaro National Park is a United States national park in Pima County, southeastern Arizona. The 92,000-acre (37,000 ha) park consists of two separate areas—the Tucson Mountain District (TMD), about 10 miles (16 km) west of Tucson, and the Rincon Mountain District (RMD), about 10 miles (16 km) east of the city. Both districts preserve Sonoran Desert landscapes, fauna, and flora, including the giant saguaro cactus.
The Maricopa Trail is a 315 miles (507 km) trail located within Maricopa County connecting the major regional and municipal parks in and around the Phoenix metropolitan area. A loop trail encircling much of the urbanized area, the trail also consists of four spurs that will connect the loop with outlying mountain parks in the region.
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