This is an amazing park if you want to visit the town and go out to dinner and then not be able to get back in the park after 8pm. They know the keypad doesn’t work consistently and they either want you to leave your vehicle at the gate, walk 3/4 mile in pitch black to your trailer or call the MCSO non emergency number and wait for a sheriff to unlock it. What a great idea at 9pm on a Friday night. I’m confident MCSO has nothing better to do. When I addressed this issue the answer is make sure you’re back by 7:59pm so this won’t be an issue. Typical response from a county worker. It’s not our problem that you stayed out late 😳
Cave Creek Regional Park was our first stop on an extended trip to Arizona. It was a nice beginning for us. Our main goal was to see the large number of saguaro cacti in the area. Although there is a lot to do here, for us it was a quick stop for some photo ops.
The park fee is $7 per car. There is apparently also camping here. There is a nice visitor center and gift shop. There are also picnic tables and a landscaped garden. But why many people seek out this park is the hiking trails. We weren't interested in hiking, so we didn't see some of the more "famous" cacti, including the Michelin Man. But we did see a large photo of it in the Visitor Center. We did enjoy the garden, identifying the plants, trees and flowers that were on display.
Excellent park with hiking trails for every level of hiker!
The park offers picnic tables and grills, a visitor center and small gift shop, restrooms and a variety of hiking trails for all levels of hikers.
Today we hiked approximately 4 miles starting at the Slate Trail head which connects to the Quartz Trail and then ending on a short section of the Go John Trail before connecting with the last leg of the trail to the parking area(s) along the main roadway.
The trails offer awesome views of the park, cactus, and many forms of rocks, Ace were a s wildlife. We saw and heard many birds, a roadrunner and the very early beginnings of some wild flower blooms.
The Quartz Trail takes you to some higher elevations without it being too strenuous of a climb to the beautiful scenery overlooking many valleys, and the beautiful park from various vantage points. There are several memory benches to rest on along the way.
Be sure to take plenty of water and protein snacks to enjoy on your hikes.
You will see the "Michelin Man" cactus and the "Three Amigos" cactus on the Slate and Quartz/Go John trail where they intersect.
Joined a guided tour primarily on the Slate Trail at Cave Creek Regional Park. I enjoyed this hiking area a bit more than Spur Cross...it's a bit closer, has a paved road to the park, and seems to have more plant and animal life. Great scenery. Not much elevation, easier trails. Clean bathrooms. Seems to be a great spot for camping and picnicing as well.
Wonderful desert hiking with miles of trails. Some good peaks to climb for a great view. In the winter, the snakes are snug in their dens hibernating, so no risk there. There is one canyon with running water, so when the snakes do come out (late March), that's where they hang out. I did most of my hiking in Jan-Feb and saw zero, but when we came back on an 84F day in late March, we saw 3 rattlesnakes in one hour by the creek. A great place to hike.
We had a great trip. Saw some life birds and the scenery was spectacular. Go prepared as the area is fairly remote. Gas and food are quite far away. Take good hiking shoes and binoculars. Lots of birds and wildlife. There is opportunity to visit other local attractions as well