Madera Canyon Delight - Madera Canyon, AZ
Madera Canyon, AZ
With lofty mountain peaks, forested slopes, seasonal streams, and an amazing variety of plants and wildlife, Madera Canyon is a popular recreational destination – especially for those in the Tucson area wishing to escape the dreary and barren desert landscape. Madera's hiking trails are applauded throughout the Southwest, and vary from paved, handicap-accessible trails and gentle walking paths in the lower canyon, to steep, expert trails leading to the top of 9,453-foot Mt. Wrightson.
Southeastern Arizona, with Madera Canyon at its heart, is rated the third best birding destination in the United States. With fifteen species of hummingbirds, Elegant Trogon, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Flame-colored Tanager, 36 species of wood warblers, and over 256 species of birds documented, it is a "required" site for all serious birders.
Despite the fact that this is not "birding season" – which begins in March, Casey and I are amazed at the number and variety as we hiked the Madera Creek Trail from the Proctor Parking Area up to the Whitehouse Picnic Area.
Because Madera Canyon and Madera Creek traverse four life zones and many habitats between the desert floor and the mountaintops, the Santa Rita Mountains in which Madera Canyon resides, has become a world-famous “sky island” known for its unique and abundant flora and fauna - from Prickly-Pear cactus in the lower Canyon to Douglas Fir and Quaking Aspen on Mt. Wrightson.
If you are ever in the Tucson area, the trip to Madera Canyon is a must-do day trip. Pack a picnic lunch, your best hiking shoes and bring plenty of water and your best camera.
“Always watch where you are going. Otherwise, you may step on a piece of the Forest that was left out by mistake.” ~ Pooh's Little Instruction Book
Jim