Tonopah Arizona Area

One of the first things linda and did was get information on some of the hiking trails in the area.  We decided to hike the Vulture Peak Trail.  Its located just outside of Wickenburg, about 5 miles.  The trail is just over 2 miles long but we had to hike another mile and a half miles just to get to it.  The road/trail is in pretty bad condition and we didn't want to harm the truck, so we walked a little extra.  The trail was pretty because the cactus were just starting to bloom.  It was a very steep trail with a lot of loose rock at the peak.  The view made it all worth while though.  We did not encouter any wildlife except a squirrel at the top that was used to being fed by humans, he was worth half a power bar. lol

HIKING SADDLE MOUNTAIN

Saddle Mountain is many things to many people, it is a special piece of Public Land that  holds vast and precious parts of Arizona's history.  Known as a landmark for travelers from the ancient days to present, it is to this day a place that offers solitude and provides a sense of remoteness that carries visitors away from the hustle and bustle of city life.  We hiked as much of it as we could squeeze into our month, and found it to be a great place to get away from it all.  If you ever get out this way I would recommend Saddle Mountain, if you enjoy peace and quiet.

The Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse of the world's desert.  The area around Saddle Mountain contains both Colorado River and Arizona Uplands types of Sonoran Desert.  While low rainfall reduces the quality of plant and animal species there is still a wide range of interesting and unique wildlife.  Found in this habitat are cougars, mule deer, kit foxes, desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, desert tortoises, cotton tailed rabbits and kangaroo rats.

Petroglyphs can be carved, pecked, chipped or abraded into stone.  The outer patina covered surface of the parent stone is removed to exposed the usually lighter colored stone underneath.  Petroglyphs sites include the surrounding area and may include prehistoric campsites and a host of other archaeological interests.

Saddle Mountain is also home to the Gila Monster and several types of lizards and snakes.  We saw a lot of lizards and only one rattle snake.  I was beginning to think Arizona had run out of them. 

 We managed to hit the desert just right again.  The cactus were blooming as well as lots of desert flowers.  The cactus are so very pretty but very delicate, as the flowers only last a day or so.

 We did have an Owl couple that nested in the RV Park while we were here.  There was a couple of different stories going around about the owls.  We were told that the female had a chick that fell out of the nest and they had a funeral for the chick.  The second story is that one of the owls swopped down and got a campers cat and killed it.  This is a tough park.

We have enjoyed our stay here at Saddle Mountain RV Park.  The people here are very friendly and are quick to let you know if there is something to see or do in the area.  There is still a lot of area to discover for us.  We look forward to returning.