big man tips

BUBBLING PONDS PRESERVE Blackhawk Trail at Bubbling Ponds Preserve Hikers who enjoy wildlife viewing will have a heyday at the Bubbling Ponds Preserve in Cornville. Cradled among desert hills, wineries and dewy green zones along Oak Creek, the site has two formal trails that loop among the property�s rare and varied habitats. The flat, soft paths pass through mesquite forests, meadows, cattail wetlands, a warm water hatchery for raising native fish and a shady riparian corridor. Informational signs, viewing benches and observation decks help maximize the visitor experience. Lower Oak Creek Important Bird Area Because of its reliable water and favorable nesting niches, the property is a sanctuary for resident and migratory birds, reptiles and mammals including several threatened species. Hikers are practically guaranteed sightings of Great blue herons, Red-winged blackbirds and many common species of waterfowl. With luck, you might also spot a more elusive Snowy Egret, Vermillion Flycat...

WAG & WALK DOG ADOPTION HIKE  Take a hike with a tail-wagging pack of adoptable dogs from the Maricopa County Animal Care & Control Mesa shelter as they strut their stuff on an easy desert trail.  The final Wag & Walk Dog Adoption hike of the season will take place on Saturday, April 1, 2017 at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa. It's a great opportunity to interact with the dogs outside of the kennel environment where they're more relaxed and able to show their true (mostly silly) personalities. You can even "test drive" the dogs to see how well they walk on leash. Shelter volunteers will be on hand to provide information on each dog's breed, exercise needs and history at the shelter. There will also be information on how you can become a volunteer. You don't have to be looking for a new fur baby to join the hike. Your participation gives the dogs a chance to practice their social skills and pander for belly rubs and treats.  Leashed, well-behav...

HOMOLOVI STATE PARK TRAILS Winslow Tsu'vo Trail Please don�t call this place a �ruin�.   Homolovi State Park is a Hopi ancestral village on the high plains of northeastern Arizona that teems with both animated and spiritual life.    Air-breathing, water-slurping terrestrial entities share space with invisible, but very present human souls who occupied the area from prehistoric times to 1400 AD. March is the perfect time to visit the park. Balmy temperatures and festivities associated with Archeology & Heritage Awareness Month add bonus points to a day trip that�s enjoyable any time of year.   The park is situated at the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau where the ruddy, sun-backed terrain smacks of NASA images of the surface of Mars.   Homolovi I The lifeline of this unforgiving yet striking landscape is the chocolatey flow of the Little Colorado River which feeds a fringe of greenery on the site�s western edge.   Five easy hiking trails explore pue...

GARWOOD-THREE TANK LOOP Saguaro National Park East, Tucson Garwood Trail There�s more to Saguaro National Park than the eponymous cacti. This is especially true in the park�s east side where relics of human history blend with an array of plant and animal specimens wedged between the craggy peaks of the Rincon Mountains and see-forever valley vistas of suburban Tucson. The area�s keynote curiosities date to a cattle grazing era that ended in the 1970s. Remnants of ranch operations can still be seen along the two dozen trails that weave through foothills, washes and open desert. View of Santa Catalina Mountains from Carrillo Trail The interconnected trail system is setup with multiple access points and signed junctions with mileages. When paired with a downloadable map from the park�s website, hikers can easily create treks that range from short and easy to long and difficult. One recommended loop option that uses four trails is packed with points of interest and a sweaty climb into the ...

WILD BURRO TRAIL Globemallow & lupine along the trail Lake Pleasant Regional Park Cove on Lake Pleasant Whether you love �em or hate �em, you�re likely to encounter rogue donkeys on the Wild Burro Trail.   One of the newer routes in Lake Pleasant Regional Park, the moderate two-mile path passes thru prime burro territory. The desert-adapted, North African imports first arrived in Arizona in the 1600s carrying supplies with Jesuit priests. Valued for their strong backs and hardy work ethic, the burros soon found additional employment with prospectors. During boom times, they hauled ore but when the mines went bust, they either wandered off or were released into the wild where they thrived in the arid territory. Today, their descendants wander in loose-knit social groups and are easily spotted along the park�s lakeside trails. The free-roaming herds and their habitat are protected by the Bureau of Land Management. Globemallow are abundant along the trail in springtime The Lake Pl...

RED CREEK Tonto National Forest Red Creek trickles toward the Verde River Crystal clear, gurgling waters, red rock cliffs, shady mesquite forests and towering canyon walls make hiking along Red Creek an especially relaxing experience. A tributary of the Verde River, Red Creek--which runs through rugged backcountry roughly 35 miles northeast of Cave Creek--creates a narrow band of green in the desert and supports abundant plant and animal life.  The "trail" is a mash up of both motorized and non-motorized routes. Running water often obscures the way, but as long as you go with the flow, you'll pick up the paths-of-use.  From the parking area, hike down the steep embankment, veer right (north) and follow the creek, informal footpaths and 4x4 roads. Stream hopping is a major feature of this simple and serene, hike but the creek bed is gravel (not mud) and the water is anything but deep or treacherous. The creek emerges from the canyon at about the 3-mile mark and trickles in...