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| | Peralta Regional Park, AZ | | | |
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Peralta Regional Park, AZ
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| Walk / Tour | 2.00 Miles |
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| | Walk / Tour | 2.00 Miles | 2 Hrs | | 1.00 mph |
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| no partners | | Yesterday (12-08-22), I got a guided tour of the new Pinal County Park out along the Peralta Road. I'm a part-time photographer for the Arizona Courier News, a monthly newspaper headquartered in Apache Junction, so I teamed up with Mark Hays, the papers Reporter, and together we met up with Kent Taylor, Director of Open Space & Trails with Pinal County.
Initially we talked about the park to get an idea of the scope of the overall project before taking a tour of some of the grounds.
>The 500 acre park is scheduled to open to the public in mid-January 2023.
>The rates will be similar to the LDSP, but will not have an annual pass (yet).
>The park does not have water & electric, so it's kinda like roughing it.
>Ramada's are available for individual and group usage.
>There are several toilet facilities, similar to the style at the trailheads.
>Several miles of maintained trails for hiking, biking & horseback riding.
>Adult beverages will be allowed, glass bottles will not be allowed.
>Peralta Road will be blacktopped as far as the park entrance.... eventually.
That's just a few of the highlights for starters, Initially I had mixed emotions about the park, but the positives soon came to outweigh the negatives. I used to hike the area and what I liked most was the historical significance with the long deserted ranch sites and old foundations where the prospectors lived still visible. Well, they're all gone now, but so too are the noisy 4X4 crowds and the campers who always seemed to leave their trash behind.
One old mineshaft has been left intact as it's considered a wildlife habitat for bats, but it's now fenced off for safety and has warning signs. Several of the old trails through the area have been renovated for vehicles (roads) and hiking/biking/horseback usage.
Overall, I'm impressed with how well, they incorporated the park into the area with as little damage to the environment as possible. I think that, in time, it will be a positive addition to the recreational potential of the area. It's a lot better than watching the area transform to residential and/or industrial land. |
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| On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip. |
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