5 Refreshing Socially Distanced Trips to State, Regional, and National Parks

We have been on lockdown, in our Viewpoint home in Arizona, since we arrived from Mazatlan, Mexico on March 23. There have been a few restrictions lifted. Bill can now play golf at the 18-hole course at our Viewpoint Golf Resort and the pools are now open where we live. I have been focused on finishing my second book. Groceries and medicines are picked up curbside. We had special dishes picked up for Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day. Zoom Parties have replaced physical hugs with family and friends.

But what has really saved the day is the refreshing outdoors that we sought on our road trips to open state, regional, and national parks around Phoenix. We can easily socially distance naturally because there are none to a few people who are doing it, like us. Also, our car is an extension of our home. We disinfect it and keep it isolated from foreign influences. We also carry with us our caboodle of face masks, surgical gloves, and hand sanitizers.

White Tank Mountain National Preserve

Spring in the desert is my favorite time and place. I immediately researched where the spring wildflowers were still blooming after our 14-day complete lockdown. We found one, the White Tank Mountain Regional Park. The Park features 19 hiking trails, ranging from 1.3 to 9.1 miles, 1,161 to 2,119 feet above sea level. Eleven of them are short and easy. However, the best one, the Waterfall Trail, was closed.

It was just an hour’s drive northwest from our home on Interstate 10, near the town of Surprise, Arizona. We were charged $7 for our vehicle and the registration was contactless. We were directed to the not yet bloomed-out section. As we drove there, we found about ten cars parked in different areas. And when we got to the spot, we had a ball photographing the yellow and purple blooms. It was our first chance to go out of our home and absolutely loved it.

Estrella Mountain Regional Park

This park was supposed to be just 45 minutes directly west of our home, also on Interstate 10, but this time near Goodyear, Arizona. But the GPS directed us to a dirt road near its southern border. It took us almost another hour to drive around the expansive park. It was a good thing that, on this extraneous drive, we found lots to photograph.  The paloverdes were still blooming yellow and we came upon an old jet fighter plane on display at an air club.

The Park is huge with 20,000 acres of desert, mountains, and a large wetland. There are baseball fields, a large grass picnic area, a golf course, fishing, and over 33 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. There was the abandoned horse show arena and a few horses were available for riding. A couple was riding their horses on to the Pederson Trail of 8.7 miles. Another couple was starting their hike on the 2.4 mile Baseline Trail. We were content photographing the horses and the geometric shapes of the empty benches and other parts of the arena.

Ironwood Forest National Monument

It was supposed to take us just two hours to get to the Ironwood Forest National Monument southeast from Mesa on Interstate 10. Our GPS took us to an exit that led to a dirt road that had a cautionary warning. As we reached the middle of the dirt road, we encountered a flooded wash area with another warning that said to not proceed in case of floods. We found a small track at the side to safely go but as the road became scarier, we turned back.

From my phone’s GPS, we found a route that took us south through more of Interstate 10. Forty minutes later, it took us to another dirt road called West SilverBell. This one, however, had the National Monument sign on entry and no warning. The whole trip took us three hours but it was so refreshing. It was like we were at the more primitive version of the Saguaro National Park. And the saguaros were in full bloom.

an ironwood tree in bloom at the park

Since it was a national forest, there was no visitor center and no fees to be paid. And we were pleasantly surprised with the ironwood tree. It is also called the palo fierro and it blooms in late April/May. We were there just at the right time. They were blazing in “fiery” purple. On the way home, the GPS directed us to a different route from how we came. And it led us to the same dirt road we were on at first. It was shorter but the longer route was definitely lovelier.

Picacho Peak State Park

This Park was about an hour from Ironwood Forest National Monument and it was on the way home right on Interstate 10. So we paid the $7 fee per vehicle and took the short drive through. It was supposed to be the best place to see spring flowers but we were late for the spectacle. But the peak itself is a spectacle. Its centerpiece spire is visible from downtown Tucson as it rises to 3,374 feet above mean sea level. It appears to be the remnant of a volcanic neck. Although now it is believed that it is just an eroded piece of rock.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Even if the trip to this National Monument took almost three hours each way south on Interstate 10 and Highway 85, we made it a point to go. It is a UNESCO biosphere reserve located in extreme southern Arizona, just 18 miles from the Mexican border. We understand that many illegal aliens use it as a corridor into the country. As a matter of fact, the Visitor Center is named after Kris Eggle, a border patrol agent killed by a drug smuggler during a border patrol operation.

We did not regret going because, although the visitor center was closed, there was a number to call to talk to a ranger. She directed us to where the special cacti grow in numbers. The park is the only place in the US where the organ pipe cactus grows wild. It was easy to drive through and spot the places where the cacti flourished, nearer the foothills. In addition, the desert wilderness scenery is so beautiful with ocotillos and saguaros blooming. Finally, there was practically no one around.

These five state, regional, and national parks were heaven-sent. I do not know why not more people go to get refreshed from being captive in their homes.

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