| Picacho Peak State Park | |||||||||||||||||||||
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  Picacho Peak State Park Location in Arizona | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Pinal County, Arizona, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°38′45″N111°24′04″W / 32.645952°N 111.401153°W /32.645952; -111.401153[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Area | 3,747 acres (1,516 ha) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 2,000 ft (610 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Established | 1965[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Administered by | Arizona State Parks & Trails | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Visitors | 85,920 (in 2024)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||||||||||||||
United States historic place
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Picacho Peak State Park is astate park surroundingPicacho Peak inPicacho,Arizona.[4] The park is located betweenCasa Grande andTucson nearInterstate 10 inPinal County. Its centerpiece spire is visible from downtown Tucson, a distance of 45 miles (72 km). The summit rises to 3,374 feet (1,028 m) above mean sea level. Though appearing to be the remnant of a volcanic neck, it is now believed to be a tilted and eroded piece of rock overlain by a lava flow.
The place namePicacho Peak is etymologically redundant:picacho means 'peak' in Spanish. In 1775 the peak was referred to asCerro de Taca 'Taca Hill' by FatherFrancisco Garcés, using theOʼodham nameTcacca orTaceo. It was also calledPicacho del Tucson 'Tucson Peak' in the past.[5][6]
The park is celebrated for wildflowers that appear mid-February to early April following good winter rain. Though set next to an interstate highway, the park's west face possesses an unspoiledSonoran Desert setting. A small flat space on top of the spire can be reached via two trail heads. Portions of the trails are precarious, and hikers are aided by cables and catwalks. These additions make the routes some of the fewvia ferrata in the United States. From the top, there is a view south to theSanta Catalina Mountains near Tucson, east across Interstate 10 to Newman Peak, northwest to Tabletop Mountain near Casa Grande, north to the many mountain ranges surroundingPhoenix, and west to where the north-runningSanta Cruz River runs underground supporting farms in a quaint desert valley.[citation needed]
TheButterfield Overland Mail route had a stop near Picacho Peak. The park is near the site of theBattle of Picacho Pass, one of severalAmerican Civil War era engagements to occur inArizona Territory. AUnion cavalry patrol from California skirmished withConfederate scouts from Texas, and three men were killed. This marks the second westernmost battle of the American Civil War.[7] Every year during early March, there are reenactments of the battle and other demonstrations of Civil War military history.
Picacho Peak features prominently in the novelThe Host byStephenie Meyer, serving as a guide to the main character in the first act of the story. Much of the action of the novel takes place in or near the state park.
On June 8, 2024, aplane crashed near the summit of Picacho Peak, killing its pilot, 68-year-old James Galvin ofOro Valley.[8]
