Oracle State Park Center for Environmental Education

This gem of a park is a 40-minute drive from the north side of Tucson (e.g., Casas Adobes). Depending on how much hiking you plan to do, you may opt to combine a visit here with a visit to Biosphere 2 and a stop at the Oracle Patio Cafe in between. The Park is comprised of 4000 acres of Catalina foothills ranging from 3600-4600 feet of elevation. The trails are well-groomed and labeled as to whether hikers, leashed dogs, mountain bikes, and/or horses are allowed. For our visit, my partner and I parked in the Kannally Ranch House lot and started out on the 1.6 mile Wildlife Corridor Trail. Running primarily on ridge tops between the Kannally and Cottonwood washes, we enjoyed broad views of the Galiuro Mountains and San Pedro Valley. As the trail turned, we spotted the transmission towers on top of Mt. Bigelow in the Catalina range. Instead of heading toward the windmill/Kannally Wash at the end of the Wildlife Corridor Trail, we turned right onto the Arizona Trail for the next 1.7 miles of our trek. As we climbed up and down ridges, crossing four dry washes, we were treated to views of the snow-capped Rincons, as well as more views of the Catalinas and Galiuros. We also met three horseback riders, who passed without issue. We looped back to the ranch house on the Manzanita Trail. This trail was shaded in sections and had more bushes. We encountered several types of birds and two southern Arizona coues deer. What a treat! We spent approximately 2.5 hours on this 5.8 mile hike. The $7 per car load entry fee, which includes a visit to the historic ranch house, is a deal. As with all Arizona hikes, bring plenty of water, snacks, and sunscreen. From October-May, you may want to dress in layers if hiking early or late in the day.

Great place to hike in these difficult times. Easy to social distance on the well groomed trails. We only saw two hikers and they were off in the distance. Beautiful plants and grass. Not much parking so a weekday is best. We paid $7 in the office but they tagged our car for non-payment anyway. Weather is about 10 degrees cooler then the Valley.

I like this place, great view of the mountains, cleaner air than Phoenix lol. The trails are good too I think, definitely will give your leg muscles a good workout. There is an entrance fee to get in on Saturdays(which is the only open day for the public) but its not much. As an educational center, it is open to groups(mon-fri) who make a reservation with the ranger that works there. Also on Saturdays they do tours of the house which was built I believe sometime in the 1930s but don't quote me on that one. More info on the state website. Worth checking out!!!

I went to Oracle State Park this past week on a 4th graders field trip. I will be the first to admit that I'm not the outdoorsy-get-in-touch-with-nature type of person but I loved it! It was so beautiful! There was a little bit of snow left from the storm that came through earlier in the week which made it even more exciting. The tours are led by volunteers and they are awesome. Our group was led by Dale, who used to be a park ranger but now graciously gives her time to educate people about the environment. She kept the kids (as well as the parents) so engaged with different activities along the hike - it was amazing! If you are looking for a group activity for school or girl/boy scouts, etc... I highly highly recommend doing this! Or just go up for a beautiful hike on a Saturday, you won't be sorry!

This was our first visit to this state park and we enjoyed it. The ranger was very friendly and helpful, and the bathroom was clean and stocked with antibacterial soap. We started on the Nature Trail which was a bit boring, but once we got on the Granite Overlook Trail, the views were much more interesting. Trails are clearly marked, well-maintained, and clean. We only saw two other hikers, so we felt safe and were able to maintain social distancing. We look forward to exploring more of the trails in the future.