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RIO SALADO HABITAT RESTORATION AREA

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RIO SALADO HABITAT RESTORATION AREA Phoenix Dragonflies live in the riparian corridor Just two miles south of downtown Phoenix, where the Salt River once flowed freely, a former dumping ground has been transformed into a thriving oasis in the desert. Hiking in The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area is like taking a step back in time to an era before dams placed along the Verde and Salt Rivers in the early 20 th century dried up the channel leaving behind a parched corridor of debris.   Landfills and quarries moved in and the area became blighted.   The site attracts myriad birds and waterfowl In 1993, the City of Phoenix began efforts to restore a portion of the river to improve the urban landscape, help in flood management and provide recreation and educational opportunities.   The $100 million project was completed in 2005. With the cooperation of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Flood Control District of Maricopa County and droves of volunteers, tons of waste were cle...
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PUMPHOUSE WASH TRAIL

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PUMPHOUSE WASH TRAIL The north leg of the trail overlooks a sprawling marsh. Pumphouse Wash is a tributary gorge of Oak Creek Canyon that runs between Sedona and Flagstaff, roughly paralleling State Route 89A. The trail wanders through moist meadows. Its rugged, lower channels�that can be accessed from SR 89A just south of the switchbacks 12 miles north of Sedona �are popular destinations for backcountry hiking and technical canyoneering. From the looks of the tangled corridor�s boulder-choked base, vertical walls, slots and pools of dubious depths, it�s difficult to imagine that its headwaters are located 600 feet uphill in unassuming meadows around the tiny community of Kachina Village. Four O'Clock flowers are plentiful in summer. Located 9 miles south of Flagstaff off Interstate 17, the mountain hamlet is an idyllic residential area of log cabins, A-frame summer homes and a hub of nature trails in the Pumphouse Wash County Natural Area. The trail stays on the brown and out of t...
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TOM'S THUMB

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"Hikernators" Find Inspiration on Scottsdale's Tom's Thumb Trail Iconic Tom's Thumb in McDowell Sonoran Preserve. For Valley hikers, autumn�s balmy temperatures are at the center of a triple conjunction of will, weather and wherewithal that rekindles desert hiking envy. Tom's Thumb seen from the Prairie Falcon Overlook. The inertia is palpable as swarms of �hikernators� emerge from air-conditioned gyms, the darkness of night or mountain climes to once again walk in desert sunlight. It�s a heady time of year for hikers who are anxious to shake off the smell of pine and ditch the 4 a.m. start times. The Preserve is open from sunrise to sunset daily. What better way to inaugurate a new season than to climb to one of the Valley�s iconic geological features for tantalizing views and a chance to build your checklist of places to hike over the coming cooler months. Granite boulders line the upper parts of Tom's Thumb Trail. With its challenging grade and Valleywi...
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