Oracle State Park
posted on January 22 2008 by elCID
More than just a nature preserve
When visiting Arizona, one visits nature. Arizona is not just one big desert, you know. There is riotous life, especially during monsoon season, when the land comes alive with 1000s of flowers and desert blooms are the norm. The state park system is exceptionally good in Arizona, and Oracle State Park is no exception. But Oracle State Park is not just a nature preserve, it's a historical site and entertainment venue, too.
Concerts are held through in months of March through May, from acoustic guitar and orator-musicians to New Orleans jazz ensembles. There is also the Fiesta de las Calabazas, an annual event, featuring live music, kids activities, food, and authors, with tales of the old west Arizona Indian traditions.
The historic Kannally Ranch House sits on Oracle State Park and is located in the northeastern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains near the town of Oracle. Ranging from 3,500 to 4,500 feet in elevation, the nearly 4,000-acre park consists of oak grassland, riparian woodland, and mesquite scrub habitats which contain a diversity of wildlife and plant species.
The purpose of the park is to act as a wildlife refuge and environmental learning center. Educational programs are being developed to focus on basic ecologic principles, and to enhance public awareness of the importance of safeguarding natural resources. Although the land has been a park for just a short while, the area has been visited and used by man since prehistoric times. This interaction between man and the park environment has played an important role in shaping the landscape we see today.
Clovis Man occupied areas along the San Pedro River 10,000 to 11,000 years ago and quite possibly visited the current park site during these early times. It is also believed that the Hohokam resided in the relatively flat, grassy areas of the park and used the adjacent woodlands for hunting and food gathering some 600-800 years ago. .In the middle 1880's the Apache Wars had ceased in central and southern Arizona. This opened up large areas to ranching, farming, and the settlement of small towns.
In 1902 Neil Kannally arrived in Oracle from Illinois. Moving to the area for relief from tuberculosis, he homesteaded the land that would later become the park. Later, other members of the Kannally family joined him. The ranch grew substantially over the next several years and eventually 1100 cattle grazed the land. In 1976, Lucille Kannally, the last surviving family member, donated the land to the Defenders of Wildlife who later transferred the property to the State Parks Board. Oracle State Park is located approximately 45 minutes from Tucson in the northern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains near the community of Oracle.
If you're in the area, and want a place to camp that big RV or yours or do some hiking and education, Oracle State Park is the place for you!
