Oracle State Park with Ranger Michael 11/04/2024
Cost: $7 (State Park Annual Fee) and $17.00 for the driver if you are carpooling
Oracle State Park is a beautiful 4,000-acre wildlife refuge located in the northern foothills of the Catalina Mountains in Arizona. It offers a variety of activities, including hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails. The park is also a designated International Dark Sky Park, making it an excellent spot for stargazing.
The park features over 15 miles of trails, including a selection of the Arizona Trail. It also serves as a Center for Environmental Education, offering a selection of interactive programs. The historic Kannally Ranch House, located within the park, provides a glimpse into the area's history.
Ranger Michael Bain will begin the tour with a 30-minute presentation/demonstration where he will go over settings & techniques for landscape & wildlife photography. Then we will hike a 1.2-mile nature trail, making stops along the way to practice.
The park's diverse habitats, ranging from oak-woodland to desert grassland, supports a rich variety of wildlife. You can encounter various mammals, such as Coues white-tailed deer, Bobcats, Javelinas, Gray foxes, Cottontail rabbits, Coyotes and Mountain lions (occasionally). Birders will enjoy Scrub jays, Gambel’s quail, Great horned owls, Cooper’s hawks, Red-tailed hawks, Harris’s hawks, Gila woodpeckers, Hooded orioles and many others, depending on the time of the year.
If you have binoculars, you may want to bring them along. A small notebook and pen or pencil would be useful to record your sightings.
Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Participants need to be comfortable walking on a trail hike of mostly flat, uneven terrain with rolling hills. A hat and water are suggested.
Bring your lunch so you can spend as much time as you want observing birds or enjoying the interactive programs. For those wanting to top the day off at a local restaurant, we will be dining at the Ore House Hilltop Tavern.
Meet at the Photography Club at 8:00 AM for carpooling. If you are going to carpool with someone, a minimum donation for gas should be $17.00 (168-mile round trip). We will leave promptly at 8:30 for Oracle State Park.
GVR requires that every person participating in Photography Club Field Trips must sign a one-time waiver absolving GVR of any liability. You may sign the waiver at the Photography Club or the morning of the trip, if you have not completed one already.
Elvira Bayless will be our leader and Ranger Michael will be our guide. For questions, email Elvira at eabayless@gmail.com. If you must cancel on the morning of the trip, call Elvira at 541-480-9388 so we won't be waiting for you.
If you need to cancel prior to the day of the trip, please contact Lynn Rozema, Field Trip Coordinator at 719-351-5193 or email at lrozema51@gmail.com as soon as possible. We may have people on the wait list to take your place.
NOTICE:
All participants need to be responsible for an assessment of their mobility and health issues relating to field trips. Some trips may not be appropriate, but you must make that determination. However, the trip leader may deny participation in a specific field trip to anyone deemed not suitably prepared or able to walk with the group.
The club strives to provide several field trips specifically designed for members with physical limitations.
In order to participate in this event, you must be a member of the GVR Photography Club and GVR.
The GVR Photography Club is located in the Recreation Village of Santa Rita Springs.