Nestled amid the red buttes of Papago Park, the Desert Botanical Garden
hosts one of the world’s finest collections of desert plants. One of only 44
botanical gardens accredited by the American Association of Museums,
this one-of-a-kind museum showcases 50 acres of beautiful outdoor exhibits.
Home to 139 rare, threatened and endangered plant species from around the
world, the Garden offers interesting and inspiring experiences to more than
300,000 visitors each year.
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With a living collection of over 800 kinds of cacti, the Arboretum has become a center for the study of this family of desert plants. Most of the 800 species are displayed in the Cactus Garden and in the cactus greenhouse at the Smith Interpretive Center. There is no restaurant at the Arboretum but sandwiches, drinks and snacks are available in our gift shop. Picnic tables and charcoal grills are available for visitors to use. Regular daily admission of $7.50 for adults or $3 for ages 5-12 includes weekend events such as our May 26 guided Butterfly Walk with Education Coordinator Chris Kline. Summer schedule during May, June, July and August has public hours daily from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
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Sycamore Creek at Sunflower is an excellent mid elevation riparian chapparral mix of Oak, Pinyon and Sycamore. Mt. Ord has excellent Oak-Pine mix, and along the lower slopes has some good hilltoping areas of mixed chapparal. The turnoff to old hwy 87 is about 28 miles from the intersection of Shea and Hwy 87 (The Beeline) Other areas along hwy 87 to check include the turnoff to Four Peaks, about 15 miles from said intersection, it has excellent desert wash willow riparian habitat, the Ballantine Trail has excellent Sonoran desert habitat.
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Garden Canyon, probably the best butterfly spot in southeastern Arizona, where we can expect to see such specialties as Theona Checkerspot, Red-spotted Purple, Silver-spotted and Short-tailed Skippers and many more. Us Citizens only are allowed on Ft. Huachuca, so bring your valid US photo ID. For those driving on to the post you will need your driver's license, auto registration and proof of insurance to obtain a permit on the way into the base.
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Nestled among the cool pines of the Prescott National Forest, the Page Springs Fish Hatchery offers a cool retreat from the desert during hot summer months. A recently completed nature trail, with signs describing riparian habitat and wildlife, meanders through the hatchery grounds and along Oak Creek. The trail is a great place to see wildlife, birds and butterflies.
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