This new Arizona park will delight hikers and campers. Here's when it opens
The footprint of Peralta Regional Park isn’t visible from the access road. That was the idea.
The master plan for the Pinal County Park that’s scheduled to open on Jan. 12, 2023, leaned heavily into shareholder input that advocated for a minimally disruptive footprint and preservation of the natural landscape.
“The less development, the better,” Kent Taylor, director of Pinal County Open Space and Trails, said of the input received from stakeholders.
Preconstruction feedback from government agencies and trail users including bikers, hikers and equestrians helped ensure that park planners thought of everything.
“A couple of things that we never considered came out of our conversations with stakeholders,” Taylor said. “First was an idea for stargazing which we incorporated into the plans with a trail and stargazing node.
"Second, the potential for rock climbing came up and that will be addressed in the park’s future phase 2 planning.”
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What to expect at Peralta Regional Park
Occupying a natural pocket of upper Sonoran Desert at the edge of the Superstition Mountains and Tonto National Forest a few miles north of U.S. 60 near Gold Canyon, the site is a unique outdoor recreation hub that straddles the gap between an amenity-rich park and a bare-bones backcountry experience.
Roads are dirt, and picnic and camping sites are simple and designed with profiles and colors that blend into the landscape. There’s no electricity or water.
“The park is 500 acres, but only 22 acres were disturbed for construction,” Taylor said. “We used existing dirt roads where possible and didn’t want to overdevelop.”
Extra care was taken to preserve native vegetation and soils as well.
“We harvested 100 saguaros during construction. Eighty of those were replanted in the park and another 20 were given to Tonto National Forest to use in forest restoration projects. Disturbed ground was restored and planted with native seeds," Taylor said.
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Right on the edge of the Superstition Mountains and Tonto National Forest
The surrounding desert has long been a popular destination for outdoor recreation. The new park sits just a few clicks down Peralta Road (Forest Road 77) from the Lost Goldmine Trail, Carney Springs trailhead and Peralta trailhead — a busy jumping-off point for the Peralta Canyon, Dutchmans and Bluff Spring trails in the Superstition Mountains.
Camping in Peralta Regional Park embraces the low-impact theme. “Glamping” it’s not. There are no RV accommodations or cabins. Only tents are allowed. There are two types of tent camping opportunities to appeal to those in search of a roughing-it experience with the comfort of being within a managed space with a nearby site host and rangers in case of an emergency.
The choices are simple or primitive. Traditional car-camping sites are drive-up clearings with a picnic table and fire pit. Hike-in backpacking sites are accessed from nonmotorized trails and are no more than small clearings where pack-hanger posts are the only luxury afforded. There is no electricity, water or trash service, so campers must pack in what they need and pack out all waste.
All camp and picnic sites have easy access to 9 miles of nonmotorized trails and a quarter-mile barrier-free interpretive walking path.
“Even in a compact space we were able to build trails with good diversity from easy to difficult,” Taylor said.
Except for the Desperado and North Star trails, which have some difficult sections, park trails are rated moderate and link up nicely for creating loop options.
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Stargazing will be a big draw at Peralta Regional Park
The park’s shiny penny is its stargazing node. Equal parts vortex, sanctuary and educational launch pad, the tiny gathering place is tucked into a natural bowl-like amphitheater with big sky views. The science-centered node features a circular sitting area with directional posts and room for telescopes.
A short trail leads to the cliff-bound site that flanks a tree-cluttered wash. It’s a beautiful little spot that oozes as much spirituality as it does science.
While it's not yet designated an official International Dark-Sky Association location, certification work is on the agenda. Taylor, who has camped in the area, says nights here are free of light pollution and extraneous sound, so stars, planets and galaxies will really pop against the inky darkness.
“We anticipate a lot of interest in night sky viewing here as well as requests for weddings, which can be arranged by permit,” Taylor said.
When asked if there’s going to be a prize for the first person to site a UFO, Taylor laughed.
“We hadn’t thought of that.”
Peralta Regional Park
When: The park is expected to open on Jan. 12, 2023. Day-use hours will be dawn to 10 p.m.
Getting there: From U.S. 60 in Gold Canyon, turn left at the Peralta Road (Forest Road 77) stoplight just past mile marker 204. Follow Peralta Road 5 miles to the park entrance on the right. Peralta Road is maintained dirt suitable for all vehicles.
Admission: Day-use fee is $7 per vehicle. Pay in advance online, or at the park entrance by scanning a QR code or with exact change at the self-serve kiosk.
Key features:
9 miles of nonmotorized trails that range from barrier-free to challenging.
Stargazing
Car and tent camping sites
Picnic ramadas
Interpretive trail
Equestrian staging area
Waterless restrooms
Camping and picnicking: Camping and picnic sites can be reserved online. Unreserved sites are first come, first served. Camping reservations are $10 per night. Picnic ramada reservations are $10 per day ($35 for group ramadas).
Details: Peralta Regional Park, https://parks-trails.pinal.gov. Note: A new website and online reservation system are in the works. Users will be redirected when those are available.
Read more of Mare Czinar's hikes at http://arizonahiking.blogspot.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pinal County's newest attraction: Peralta Regional Park opens soon
