Desert Discovery Trail

You will find the trailhead to this self-guided nature trail on Kinney Road, one mile northwest of the Red Hills Visitor Center.  Along the loop route, exhibits discuss the native plants, animals, and ecology of the Sonoran Desert.  This paved trail is wheelchair accessible and offers resting benches and shade ramadas.

The interpretive signs include:

• Saguaro--Guardian of the Desert - All about the iconic cactus and the ecosystem that depends on it
• The Obliging Opuntias - The wildlife that call cacti its homes and meals
• Nurses of the Desert - The various shrubs and their role in the ecosystem
• Giving and Taking - About the legumes produced by mesquite, palo verde, and other desert plants
• Foundation for Life - The composition and geology of the soil that gives life
• The Food Chain - The predator-prey relationship
• Birds at Work - Birds' role in the ecosystem
• Little Giants - The various insects of the Sonoran Desert
• Resourceful Reptiles - Lizards, snakes, and the endangered desert tortoise
• The Chain of Life - The interdependency of all forms of life