White Tank Mountain Regional Park

I volunteered about three hours of my time this morning to help "trail blaze" one of the trails located at White Tank Mountain Regional Park (WTMRP). Located in Waddell, far west of my central Phoenix home, I didn't think I would ever take the time to visit this county park. But, a volunteer opportunity gave me the motivation to get out there and see it.

The trail blazing part wasn't easy work. For the most part, it involved filling wheelbarrows up with dirt and rocks, then pushing them up a slightly steep trail grade about 1/2 mile, and repairing the washed out parts of the trail. Good thing it was relatively cool out this morning!

But, after we finished for the day, I decided to hike one of the easier park trails (Black Rock Trail) and enjoy the views. I have to say, I was impressed with all WTMRP has to offer.

It's a newer park (about two years old), with a large and beautiful, high-tech, nature center and library located at it's entrance. What a great place for a library! And the park was also a lot bigger than I thought it would be. Nearly 30,000 acres makes this the largest regional park in Maricopa County.

Like many other Maricopa County Parks, WTMRP has many different trails with varying degrees of difficulty, but all with great views of the landscape and wildlife. They also have many Ramadas with picnic tables and grills throughout the park, and plenty of water stations and restrooms.. great for a family day out or picnic. There are more than enough parking spaces.

Desert Dreams | A Short Documentary

A film created without narration or people, Desert Dreams lets viewers experience the Sonoran Desert from the inside out. This immersive 52-minute production focuses on beauty and biodiversity followed through a cycle of five seasons: Dry Summer, Wet Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring.

Long-time resident of Tucson, Arizona, Producer-Director-Cinematographer Thomas Wiewandt blends HD video and time-lapse imagery captured over the past 4 years with stills compiled over 3 decades. And the supporting sound track combines natural sounds with a kaleidoscope of flute and percussion vignettes by Gary Stroutsos.

After a full year of editing, Desert Dreams has brought 182 species of plants and animals to life. Its big-screen debut in Tucson, Arizona is scheduled for May 19, 2013 at the historic Fox Theatre.


Video Trailer for DESERT DREAMS from Wild Horizons® on Vimeo.

It's National Park Week

I'm a little late in announcing this, but April 20-28 is National Park Week. There's still a few days left to take advantage of it. There are no entrance fees to any of the national parks until Friday, April 26th.

Bombing Arizona

In Arizona, most people don't like graffiti taggers. But a growing number of artists choose graffiti to express themselves or tell a story. And each has a reason.

Bombing Arizona, a documentary now showing at the Arizona Film Festival.


Reel from Ricardo Bracamonte on Vimeo.

San Tan Mountain Regional Park

San Tan Mountain Regional Park is pretty cool, huh? Ranger Adam Martell explains where the park is located and what it has to offer. BTW, that wasn't a Gila Monster, it was a chuckwalla.

Consisting of over 10,000 acres, the southeast Valley park is a fine example of the lower Sonoran Desert. The park ranges in elevation from about 1,400 feet to over 2,500 feet. Goldmine Mountain is located in the northern area, with a spectacular San Tan Mountain escarpment in the southern portion of the park. The vegetation changes from creosote flats to dense saguaro forest.


Source: San Tan Mountain Regional Park and East Valley Tribune: Get Out

Hiking In Phoenix

Did you know that, according to National Geographic, the City of Phoenix is one of the top cities in the country for hiking? Phoenix’s desert preserve system contains more than 30,000 acres and has close to 200 miles of trails located within the city limits.

Here's Part 1/5 of a DiverseCity video presentation describing the various trails.


Watch the entire video series: [Part 2][Part 3][Part 4][Part 5]