Cave Creek Regional Park – You Me and the Dock

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Cave Creek Regional Park is located just north of Phoenix, AZ, and sits on 2,922 acres of wilderness in the upper Sonoran Desert. The dryer terrain has elevations that vary from 2,000 to 3,060 feet. There are plenty of trails providing gorgeous panoramic views of the vast plains and there is a trail named “Go John” that is family friendly. The adventurous trails lead around a mountain and give the feeling of being miles from civilization. In the 1870s, miners with the infectious gold fever tried to fulfill their dreams of striking it rich on the jasper-studded hills. The self guided trail gives its visitors the illusion of stepping back to that time.

The following pictures give an insight to the park’s desolate, but curiously rugged, scenery.

The Saguaro Cactus is seen all around the park’s landscape. Its familiar shape is very notable to visitors. There are many types of cactuses that provide beautiful flowers. The bright colors enrich the desert’s bleak and hardened floor. The mountainous terrain has several hidden crevasses, which store pools of water from brief but strong storms and their run-offs. There are many vantage points where visitors can see for tens of miles. The skies are blue, the air is dry, and the horizon includes distant mountains. Diamond Back Snakes are very dominant in this region. They lay out in the morning and mid-afternoon sun. At dusk or after the sun has set, they begin to look for prey. Rattlesnakes don’t usually dig their own dens. They takeover abandoned or naturally created burrows. Rattlesnakes will usually share their dens with other rattlers.

Cave Creek Regional Park has a lot to offer its visitors with hiking trails, campsites and other outdoor activities.  Like the lyrics of the song “Horse With No Name” from the folk rock band America, “After two days in the desert sun my skin began to turn red. After three days in the desert sun I was looking at a riverbed.” There are several rules to remember when visiting a region like Cave Creek. Take plenty of water and sunscreen, always look down and around for dangerous reptiles such as snakes, and take a few moments to listen. Keep ears open for hissing, rattling or any noises that cannot be identified. Last, but not least, watch the skies for approaching thundering clouds. If stranded during a storm, find cover from lighting and stay on high ground to avoid getting washed away by flash flooding. With all this said, have a great time exploring one of our true frontiers.

Captions: Anthony Scopel
Photographer: Gay Isis Editor: Sheri L. Thompson

Publisher: YMATD