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SMOR Country has more than a few obvious assets such as our clean mountain air, dark starry nights, and quiet desert places. But for those willing to dig a little deeper, we have many Hidden Treasures well worth the extra effort for the discriminating traveler.
Traveling from Oracle to Mammoth, we drop down several thousand feet, moving from oaks and manzanitas to saguaro cactus and desert wild flowers, from cool mountain foothills to a desert river valley. The entire area, especially along the San Pedro River is filled with ancient Native American sites (a collection of local artifacts is on display in the Oracle Public Library), and vast amounts of State and Federal land offers various recreational activities.
Mammoth is the Gateway to the Galuiro Mountains, rich in opportunities for camping hiking and hunting. If you look hard enough you can also find the remains of Cooper Creek, now a ghost town, once a mining settlement. Mammoth is also the beginning of the scenic Loop Drive up to Globe Miami, Superior and back past the spectacular Asarco Ray Open Pit Mine. Something to look forward to is the mining Memorial going up in Mammoth.
San Manuel offers several wonderful scenic drives in addition to a 9 hole golf course. After a game of golf, you can have lunch or a late afternoon meal at the Country Club and sit on the patio and enjoy the changing colors of the mountains. You can also watch the planes come in and out of our fast growing airport. On the other side of Tabletop is the old Arizona town of Klondike. The back road to Benson down along the San Pedro River is a beautiful if slightly rough drive. When the San Pedro River is running it is a great place to play. There is also the back road to Oracle and Peppersauce Canyon (camp ground and caves) and up to Mt Lemmon. Please check road conditions locally before starting. Please remember this is a fragile desert area. TREAT IT WITH RESPECT. This former Copper Mining town is a town in transition, it will be seeing a number of big changes in the not too distant future.
Oracle is quietly becoming know as an arts community. Ranch Linda Vista is a private community of artists just west of Oracle, founded in 1968. Their Barn Gallery is open to the public on Sundays from 1PM to 5PM and during special events such as the Oracle Festival of Fine Arts. In Oracle, one can find artist’s studios, a gallery of local artists and several craft stores. The quaint Union Stone Church is worth looking at as is their museum located on Mt. Lemmon Rd.
The Oracle Center of Environmental Education at Arizona State Park is open to the general public. This is on the Former Kannally Ranch which is open and contains artwork of the former owner. Tours available on weekends. They also offer excellent nature tours for children. (For information call 520-896-2425)
Bird watching is a very popular sport in this area. Hiking trail information can be obtained at the Oracle Library.
Traveling from Oracle to Mammoth, we drop down several thousand feet, moving from oaks and manzanitas to saguaro cactus and desert wild flowers, from cool mountain foothills to a desert river valley. The entire area, especially along the San Pedro River is filled with ancient Native American sites (a collection of local artifacts is on display in the Oracle Public Library), and vast amounts of State and Federal land offers various recreational activities.
Mammoth is the Gateway to the Galuiro Mountains, rich in opportunities for camping hiking and hunting. If you look hard enough you can also find the remains of Cooper Creek, now a ghost town, once a mining settlement. Mammoth is also the beginning of the scenic Loop Drive up to Globe Miami, Superior and back past the spectacular Asarco Ray Open Pit Mine. Something to look forward to is the mining Memorial going up in Mammoth.
San Manuel offers several wonderful scenic drives in addition to a 9 hole golf course. After a game of golf, you can have lunch or a late afternoon meal at the Country Club and sit on the patio and enjoy the changing colors of the mountains. You can also watch the planes come in and out of our fast growing airport. On the other side of Tabletop is the old Arizona town of Klondike. The back road to Benson down along the San Pedro River is a beautiful if slightly rough drive. When the San Pedro River is running it is a great place to play. There is also the back road to Oracle and Peppersauce Canyon (camp ground and caves) and up to Mt Lemmon. Please check road conditions locally before starting. Please remember this is a fragile desert area. TREAT IT WITH RESPECT. This former Copper Mining town is a town in transition, it will be seeing a number of big changes in the not too distant future.
Oracle is quietly becoming know as an arts community. Ranch Linda Vista is a private community of artists just west of Oracle, founded in 1968. Their Barn Gallery is open to the public on Sundays from 1PM to 5PM and during special events such as the Oracle Festival of Fine Arts. In Oracle, one can find artist’s studios, a gallery of local artists and several craft stores. The quaint Union Stone Church is worth looking at as is their museum located on Mt. Lemmon Rd.
The Oracle Center of Environmental Education at Arizona State Park is open to the general public. This is on the Former Kannally Ranch which is open and contains artwork of the former owner. Tours available on weekends. They also offer excellent nature tours for children. (For information call 520-896-2425)
Bird watching is a very popular sport in this area. Hiking trail information can be obtained at the Oracle Library.
also known as
SMOR Treasures
SMOR Treasures
SMOR Tri-Community Chamber of Commerce | P.O. Box 416 San Manuel, AZ 85631 | Phone: (520) 385-9322
Site Production and Web Design by Ralph L. Perry © 2007-2009
All photos and graphics © 2007-2009 SMOR Chamber and Ralph L. Perry and their licensors. All rights reserved.
Site Production and Web Design by Ralph L. Perry © 2007-2009
All photos and graphics © 2007-2009 SMOR Chamber and Ralph L. Perry and their licensors. All rights reserved.
SMOR Birds and Plants
The landscape in the Oracle area is dominated by gently rolling hills as well as steep slopes and canyons. Many of these hills are topped with scenic boulders outcrops of Oracle Granite (quartz monzonite). Panoramic vistas are possible from many sites in the area, with the Santa Catalinas on the south and the San Pedro River Valley and Galiuro Mountain north and east.
The plant life of the area is primarily an oak grassland community composed of a variety of grasses and oaks such as emory, Arizona white and scrub oak. Other common plants are bear grass, soap tree yucca and mesquite. With an elevation of 4300 feet, in the northern foothills of the Santa Catalina “Sky Island” Mountains, the area supports very different plants and animals than the lower Sonoran Desert (saguaro-palo-verde) community seen around Tucson.
Studies have shown that the oak grassland is more biologically diverse than any other plant community of the southern Arizona sky islands. One reason for this diversity is its location between two very different communities, desert and pine forest. Another reason is the variations in geology and topography due to canyons and boulder fields.
A great diversity of plant life can support a very diverse wildlife community. The habitat of the mule and whitetail deer meet here and other mammals such as javelina, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, ringtailed cats and coatimundi occur here as well. The additional plant diversity created by riparian areas contributes to an abundance of resident bird species and is an attractive habitat for migratory species. Northern Cardinal and Rufous-sided Towhees are year round residents seen in the oak woodlands.
An American Kestrel or a Prairie Falcon may be seen hovering briefly over its prey in the grassland areas, or Cassin’s Kingbird and a Loggerhead Shrike may be seen in these areas as well. The songs of Bell’s Vireo, Bewick’s Wren, Gambel’s Quail and Mourning Dove are often heard, in addition to the noisy scoldings of Scrub Jays. Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, and Turkey Vultures are all typical birds seen soaring over the boulder outcrops of the diverse landscape of the Oracle Area.
The plant life of the area is primarily an oak grassland community composed of a variety of grasses and oaks such as emory, Arizona white and scrub oak. Other common plants are bear grass, soap tree yucca and mesquite. With an elevation of 4300 feet, in the northern foothills of the Santa Catalina “Sky Island” Mountains, the area supports very different plants and animals than the lower Sonoran Desert (saguaro-palo-verde) community seen around Tucson.
Studies have shown that the oak grassland is more biologically diverse than any other plant community of the southern Arizona sky islands. One reason for this diversity is its location between two very different communities, desert and pine forest. Another reason is the variations in geology and topography due to canyons and boulder fields.
A great diversity of plant life can support a very diverse wildlife community. The habitat of the mule and whitetail deer meet here and other mammals such as javelina, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, ringtailed cats and coatimundi occur here as well. The additional plant diversity created by riparian areas contributes to an abundance of resident bird species and is an attractive habitat for migratory species. Northern Cardinal and Rufous-sided Towhees are year round residents seen in the oak woodlands.
An American Kestrel or a Prairie Falcon may be seen hovering briefly over its prey in the grassland areas, or Cassin’s Kingbird and a Loggerhead Shrike may be seen in these areas as well. The songs of Bell’s Vireo, Bewick’s Wren, Gambel’s Quail and Mourning Dove are often heard, in addition to the noisy scoldings of Scrub Jays. Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, and Turkey Vultures are all typical birds seen soaring over the boulder outcrops of the diverse landscape of the Oracle Area.
