The Quest to Find Arizona Wildflowers

It’s Easter Sunday and while some kids were up early looking for Easter Eggs, I was up at 6:30 a.m. searching for wildflowers in the Sonoran desert.

I was determined not to miss them this year just in case I only got to spend one spring in Phoenix. Besides, they always say you should take the time to stop and smell the flowers. That time was today.

Of course, I couldn't just pick the desert area where I live. I had to pick some place new – which usually comes through intense research and planning.

Ha ha ha ha…as if I did any research or planning.

CHOOSING THE PERFECT HIKING TRAIL

Basically, I got up at 6:15 a.m. and being lazy, I didn’t feel like putting my bike in the car like I had planned to do. Instead, I opted for a hike.

After a quick one minute search on Google and I had decided on my wildflower destination of the day.

On arizonahiking.org, they have all these great hikes listed out. The one that caught my eye was the San Tan Mountian Regional Park around Queen Creek. I hadn’t been to Queen Creek yet (it’s about an hour away from me) so that was one of the selling points. The second thing that tempted me was that the hike was 7.8 miles – which means it would be worth the drive, and the third thing was that the hike was listed as quiet.

I’m learning quickly in Arizona that if you want a quiet hike on some the popular trails and mountains like Pinnacle Peak and Camelback, you’ve got to get there at sunrise or else the trails are packed -- not that there's anything wrong with that.  But for me, hiking and climbing is my version Sunday morning yoga. I’m looking for peace and tranquility – not a whole bunch of people.


SAN TAN IS A HAVEN FOR SOLITUDE SEEKERS

If you are looking for solitude and a scenic walk, the San Tan Mountain Regional Park is the place to go.

I got there about 7:45 a.m. and there were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. You do have to pay $6 to get into the park, but it’s worth it.

In the 2.5 hours it took me to hike the 8 miles, I saw only a few people on bikes (this trail is fantastic for mountain bikers) and only ran into a couple of hikers at the end when I was leaving. This could because I was there early or maybe because I choose the longest trail to hike. They do have shorter ones that are only 1 or 2 miles long for those of you who a new to hiking.

Here’s the San Tan Mountain Regional Park website for details.

There were also tons of wildflowers everywhere so my quest was finally complete. 

Brittlebrush (yellow flowering bush) was the most prominent and they were filled with bees. Every time I stopped to take a picture the bees would get annoyed and buzz even louder. But then again, maybe they were buzzing because I was wearing this Hawaiian Tropic lip balm that I love because it has 45 SPF and smells like coconuts.  Hmmm...might have to think about getting a scent-free one for hiking.

My favorite flowers were from the Hedgehog cactus. They are the purple/pink ones. They were closed when I first got there but the blossoms opened up as the sun got hotter.

I also saw my first coral snake. He slithered into a hole in the dirt and I didn’t stop to take photos as I didn’t want to bother him.

Address for San Tan Mountain Regional Park
6533 West Phillips Road
Queen Creek Arizona 85242