278:. As of 2022, there are nine multiuse trails in the park, most of which are open to hiking, cycling and horseback riding. They include the Little Leaf Trail (0.7 mile), Stargazer Trail (0.8 mile), the Hedgehog Trail (1 mile), Moonlight Trail (1.3 miles), and San Tan Trail (6.4 miles). The Goldmine Trail (2.5 miles) allows you to hike to the highest point in the park. The park has three entrances, on the north, east and south sides of the park. At the main entrance to the park off Phillips Road, there is a visitor center (built in 2005) with restrooms, a drinking fountain, indoor and outdoor desert-animal exhibits, and a small gift shop. The Goldmine entrance has parking and portable restrooms. The Rock Peak Wash trailhead has no services.
81:
303:. Initially they lived in a cave near the foot of Goldmine Mountain, prior to building a shanty outside the cave. The two made their living by mining small claims in the area, finding copper, silver, turquoise, and gold. Over the next dozen years they used the proceeds of their mining to file 55 claims, which are still owned by Carter's heirs. Kennedy died in 1960 at the age of 86. After his death, Carter continued to mine, but also began to whittle figurines out of local wood and cactus skeletons. Nicknamed the "Old Man of the Mountain", he died at the age of 85 in 1987.
507:
310:. An additional 3,400 acres owned by Maricopa County was incorporated into the park during the 1990s. The park is reached by paved roads; no roads or trails inside the park are paved except the area at the visitor center. The surrounding area consists mostly of agricultural fields, desert flats, low-lying hills, and housing developments.
125:
The vegetation varies from creosote flats to saguaro forest. Fauna includes many species of reptiles, birds, and mammals. The flora falls into the
Sonoran Desert scrub category, in the Arizona Upland vegetation subdivision, the wettest subdivision of the category. Within the park the flora falls into
117:
The climate consists of sweltering hot summers and cool mild winters, with average monthly temperatures ranging from a high of 104 degrees
Fahrenheit in July to a low of 65.1 degrees in January. The park averages about 8.95 inches of rain per year, with almost 60% occurring with the June to September
113:
Proterozoic and
Laramide granites are the predominant geology of the park, while Mid-Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks overlay Proterozoic and Cretaceous crystalline rocks in the central and eastern portions. The majority of exposed bedrock is either granite or schist, with rhyolitic volcanics
273:
The park is mostly used for recreational uses such as horseback riding, cycling, and hiking. In June 2003 a master plan was produced which called for development of the park to account for increased use, which will protect historical sites, vegetation and habitat. Special use areas will be created,
290:
history, consisting of rockpile fields located on large portions of the area. These are recognized as a sign of agricultural activity by the
Hohokam, who most likely farmed agaves, yuccas, and chollas. With a few exceptions, the entire area was largely undeveloped before 1975. Those exceptions
274:
and fencing to ward off sensitive areas, and closing off illegal access points. Trails and roads will be built or rehabilitated. The extensive mountain biking trails consist mainly of doubletrack trails. There is an educational area detailing the lives of the
97:, the park sits south of Queen Creek Arizona and preserves a portion of the San Tan Mountains, located on their northeastern flank. It is located approximately 30 miles southeast of downtown Phoenix. Higley Basin is its northern border, while
126:
239 taxa, broken into 52 families, 171 genera and 238 species, with approximately 90% of the species being indigenous. The 10% of non-indigenous plants consist of 24 species. Almost 47% of the park's flora comes from five families:
109:
which sits in the northern section of the park, with the
Malpais Hills in the south, between them sit an unnamed central highlands. These three mountain groups rise above the general plain of the park, which sits at 1500 feet.
294:
In 1948 two prospectors, Mansel Carter and Marion
Kennedy moved into the area. Carter was originally from Ohio, and after several different careers in his younger years which included piloting and logging, he moved to
69:. Although the park is administered by Maricopa County Parks, it is located within Pinal County. It encompasses over 10,000 acres and preserves a portion of the
299:
in 1941, where he opened a camera shop. Kennedy was an
American Indian from Oklahoma, where he attended the Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with
537:
480:
307:
511:
457:
105:. The elevation of the park varies between 1,400 and 2,500 feet, with the highest point in the park situated in the Malpais Hills at 2,539 feet.
391:
32:
80:
263:
211:
102:
98:
199:
119:
247:
243:
151:
106:
70:
517:
219:
175:
74:
413:
239:
227:
435:
195:
147:
17:
259:
235:
296:
215:
275:
255:
231:
203:
179:
159:
101:
sits to its northwest. The western and southern portions of the park are bordered by the
207:
94:
286:
Human presence in the area goes back to circa 1100-1450 A.D., the "classic period" of
531:
267:
223:
191:
183:
155:
139:
66:
364:"The Vascular Flora of San Tan Mountains Regional Park, Maricopa County, Arizona"
163:
300:
127:
363:
47:
34:
187:
171:
143:
522:
506:
135:
291:
include minor prospecting, some cattle grazing, and a stagecoach trail.
306:
The park was created in 1986 on approximately 6,800 acres owned by the
287:
251:
131:
146:(6 genera, 13 species, 5.4%). Some of the Asteraceae species include:
167:
458:"The breakfast club: Desert Tortoises chow down at Queen Creek park"
481:"San Tan Mountain Regional Park: 9 trails to suit every hiker"
392:"San Tan Mountain Regional Park - Maricopa County"
84:Gold Mountain in San Tan Mountain Regional Park
523:commentary on Carter and Kennedy and the park
8:
460:. Queen Creek Independent. August 15, 2018
65:is a large rural/suburban park located in
114:existing in the northern Malpais Hills.
79:
319:
308:United States Bureau of Land Management
479:Weldon B. Johnson (January 16, 2018).
357:
355:
353:
351:
349:
347:
345:
343:
518:Official gallery from Maricopa County
341:
339:
337:
335:
333:
331:
329:
327:
325:
323:
7:
386:
384:
250:. The Cactaceae are represented by:
234:. Examples of Boraginaceae include:
93:Comprising over 10,200 acres in the
142:(6 genera, 14 species, 5.9%); and
25:
538:Parks in Maricopa County, Arizona
505:
414:"San Tan Mountain Regional Park"
134:(20 genera, 26 species, 10.9%);
130:(35 genera, 42 species, 17.6%);
178:. Examples of Poaceae include:
138:(10 genera, 17 species, 7.1%);
18:San Tan Mountains Regional Park
512:San Tan Mountain Regional Park
63:San Tan Mountain Regional Park
1:
206:. Fabaceae is represented by
103:Gila River Indian Reservation
27:Park in Pinal County, Arizona
264:Engelmann's hedgehog cactus
212:Coastal bird's-foot trefoil
554:
369:. Desert Botanical Garden
436:"San Tan Mountain Park"
483:. The Arizona Republic
120:North American Monsoon
85:
48:33.16778°N 111.63556°W
394:. Town of Queen Creek
248:Arizona popcornflower
244:broad-nutted comb bur
152:Triangle-Leaf Bursage
83:
514:at Wikimedia Commons
176:Woollyhead neststraw
53:33.16778; -111.63556
362:Dixie Zank Damrel.
240:Panamint cryptantha
228:Foothills paloverde
200:Bigelow's bluegrass
44: /
196:desert fluff-grass
168:Arizona Cottonrose
148:San Felipe dogweed
86:
510:Media related to
260:teddy bear cholla
236:Common fiddleneck
107:Goldmine Mountain
71:San Tan Mountains
16:(Redirected from
545:
509:
493:
492:
490:
488:
476:
470:
469:
467:
465:
454:
448:
447:
445:
443:
432:
426:
425:
423:
421:
410:
404:
403:
401:
399:
388:
379:
378:
376:
374:
368:
359:
99:Chandler Heights
59:
58:
56:
55:
54:
49:
45:
42:
41:
40:
37:
21:
553:
552:
548:
547:
546:
544:
543:
542:
528:
527:
502:
497:
496:
486:
484:
478:
477:
473:
463:
461:
456:
455:
451:
441:
439:
434:
433:
429:
419:
417:
412:
411:
407:
397:
395:
390:
389:
382:
372:
370:
366:
361:
360:
321:
316:
284:
276:desert tortoise
256:Buckhorn Cholla
232:Velvet Mesquite
204:Sixweeks fescue
180:Purple threeawn
160:Desert Marigold
91:
52:
50:
46:
43:
38:
35:
33:
31:
30:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
551:
549:
541:
540:
530:
529:
526:
525:
520:
515:
501:
500:External links
498:
495:
494:
471:
449:
438:. MTBikeAZ.com
427:
405:
380:
318:
317:
315:
312:
283:
280:
208:Catclaw acacia
95:Sonoran Desert
90:
87:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
550:
539:
536:
535:
533:
524:
521:
519:
516:
513:
508:
504:
503:
499:
482:
475:
472:
459:
453:
450:
437:
431:
428:
416:. Summit Post
415:
409:
406:
393:
387:
385:
381:
365:
358:
356:
354:
352:
350:
348:
346:
344:
342:
340:
338:
336:
334:
332:
330:
328:
326:
324:
320:
313:
311:
309:
304:
302:
298:
292:
289:
281:
279:
277:
271:
269:
268:barrel cactus
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
220:Mojave lupine
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
192:Bermuda Grass
189:
185:
184:Arizona brome
181:
177:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
129:
123:
121:
115:
111:
108:
104:
100:
96:
88:
82:
78:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
57:
19:
485:. Retrieved
474:
462:. Retrieved
452:
440:. Retrieved
430:
418:. Retrieved
408:
396:. Retrieved
371:. Retrieved
305:
293:
285:
272:
156:Desert Broom
140:Boraginaceae
124:
116:
112:
92:
67:Pinal County
62:
61:
29:
216:hairy lotus
164:Brittlebush
89:Description
75:Queen Creek
73:, south of
51: /
487:October 6,
464:October 6,
442:October 6,
420:October 6,
398:October 6,
373:October 6,
314:References
301:Jim Thorpe
266:, and the
128:Asteraceae
39:111°38′8″W
188:Red Brome
172:Burrobush
144:Cactaceae
36:33°10′4″N
532:Category
224:ironwood
136:Fabaceae
122:season.
297:Gilbert
288:Hohokam
282:History
252:saguaro
132:Poaceae
246:, and
230:, and
202:, and
174:, and
367:(PDF)
489:2018
466:2018
444:2018
422:2018
400:2018
375:2018
534::
383:^
322:^
270:.
262:,
258:,
254:,
242:,
238:,
226:,
222:,
218:,
214:,
210:,
198:,
194:,
190:,
186:,
182:,
170:,
166:,
162:,
158:,
154:,
150:,
77:.
491:.
468:.
446:.
424:.
402:.
377:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
