Granite Reef Recreational Area, AZ

 

Near our park is another wonderful stunning natural landscape located in the Tonto National Forest in Arizona. A mere 15minute drive from our park we find ourselves in the Granite Reef Recreational Area. 

The area is best known for its access to the Salt River, where we often see people picnicking, kayaking, or fishing. The river is always flowing giving us an ideal place to escape our citified enclave or the Arizona heat.

We generally bird/hike one of the several trails within the park most often choosing the riverside ones..Across the river from Granite Reef Rec Area is the beautiful Red Mountain along with breathtaking views of other surrounding mountains.The river reflections of these mountains are also stunning. We love to visit after colder weather blows through as we can take pictures of the mountains with snow atop them.

The park is also a gateway to some nice desert hiking. We have hiked several of the trails near this area amongst the saguaros and other cacti typical of the Sonoran desert.

Birding the area means you will see various birds typical of riparian zones, deserts and open water. Ducks are always abundant on Salt River and near the dam which  can be accessed from one of the trails. This is a great spot for taking in nature and enjoying the great Arizona outdoors.

Some things we see and do here...

 

Rather than post some stories about our routine winter life here inMesa AZ I think I’ll post pictures with small stories about interesting and unique things we have seen and or done during our stay. Expect anything from seeing photos of birds, critters, scenery, dancing events and anything else we found fun, interesting or quirky.

I’ll start with a few bird pictures. The first is of a Cooper’s Hawk who we saw simply chilling in a stream at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve. This super chill bird simply sat in the water for at least 10 minutes while we watched and clicked photos. It wasn’t bathing or splashing at all. It was just chilling… and maybe wondering why we watching it.

Another day we were at the preserve and a rare bird had been sighted at the preserve. We were luckily enough to see it one afternoon. The bird, called the Streaked-backed Oriole, is a rare stray from Mexico. It sure was fun seeing this colorful rarity in the winter.

When we hike in the Riparian Park we see these spotted ground squirrels who are often digging for tasty morsels. They are not bothered at all by the people walking by.

Every weekday we don our workout clothes and head over to the fitness room at Towerpoint Resort. Our RV park has a nice gym with nearly everything we need. Even better is the view of our resort's pool while working out. As we rest between sets we use this view to relax our minds while also burning calories.

One of the best things about wintering in the state of Arizona are the spectacular sunsets and sunrises. This morning sunrise greeting us one day and started off our day in a grand fashion.