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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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Tour de Rock

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Tour de Rock Cathedral Rock Tucked between the golf greens and suburban communities of North Scottsdale and the rugged wilds of Tonto National Forest, McDowell Sonoran Preserve is an approachable, precious space of pristine desert.   Laced with over 180 miles of hiking, biking and equestrain trails, the preserve protects 30,000 acres of indigenous plants, sensitive habitats, historic artifacts and spectacular geology. Yuccas are common along the trails Up-close details are backed with epic views of surrounding mountain ranges and rich valleys carved by the Verde and Salt Rivers.   Eons of exposure to the erosive forces of wind and water has created a plethora of geological curiosities throughout the preserve.   The site's igneous core is anchored by the lumpy mounds of Granite Mountain and Cholla Mountain, but hidden along the perimeter of the latter are three impressive natural rock formations that can be visited in one day-hike length sweep. There are myriad ways to get...
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