Facilities

As of October 1, 2009: Oracle State Park is CLOSED to the public for day-use due to budget reductions; open only by reservation for school programs, and for special events. Read Press Release about this Park's five day schedule.

Restrooms

The park has modern, handicap accessible restrooms at the Group Use Area. There are four composting toilets, each with sink and running water.

At the Kannally Ranch House, old plumbing is a limitation so the public is asked to use the two handicap accessible port-o-toilets, with foot-pump hand-washing station.

There is one handicap accessible port-o-toilet available at the Oak-Woodland parking area, with no sink facility.

Gift Shop

The Gift Shop is housed in the office/visitor contact station located in the upper solarium of the historic Kannally Ranch House. Items for sale include a variety of books, magnets, notecards, postcards, T-shirts, stuffed animals and educational games.

Exhibits

The historic Kannally Ranch House is a museum with historic photos, original artwork and unique design features including Mediterranean and Moorish architecture. Constructed between 1929-33, the house is four levels built up the hillside and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A 45-minute guided tour of the ranch house is offered to the public on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 10 am and again at 2 pm. Guided tours during midweek may be scheduled by reservation. Other exhibits include an extensive plant herbarium, with laminated specimens available for viewing in the park office/gift-shop.

Group: Day Use Areas

Group: Day Use Areas A number of areas with equipment can be rented at the park for your function. A $6.00 Entrance Fee per vehicle must be paid in addition to the specific rental fees. For a group function the Entrance Fee can be paid in advance or afterward, but isnon-refundable. We only accept reservations 6 months in advance. See also Weddings.

Kannally Ranch House Living Room: $100.00 (50 people maximum)
Kannally Ranch House Patio(s): $50.00
Outside patio heater: $25.00
Group Use Area: $25.00 (includes two ramadas, picnic tables, BBQ grills, and 4 restrooms)
Tables (12) and Chairs (50): $25 (or supply your own)
After 5 pm: $25.00 per hour (up until 10 pm)
Kitchen Use: $25 (must bring own plates, cups, glasses, utensils, napkins, etc.)
"Pack It In, Pack It Out" policy applies to all reservations, unless prior arrangements are made. You are expected to handle your own garbage. If you want the park to handle the garbage: $50 (this is subject to current transfer station cost and may change if their rates change).
The park has two portable toilets at the Kannally Ranch House. If the size of your function requires more toilets, you may contact your own vendor, or the park will handle this at the current rental price for these units. If the park toilets require servicing after your function, you will also be responsible for those charges.
A 10% down payment is required for reservations.

Picnic Areas/Shelters

Kannally Ranch House patios with limited seating and four patio tables for picnic use.

Oak Woodland Area with eight picnic tables under shade trees, one handicap accessible port-o-toilet; no running water.

Five picnic tables under shade trees along Main Road across from Oak-Woodland Area.

Hiking Trails

Oracle State Park: Center for Environmental Education offers more than 15 miles of hiking trails. The Arizona Trail also offers the opportunity to extend your trek into the Catalina Mountains to the south and rolling desert hills to the north.

Granite Overlook Trail: This trail is accessed from the Oak Woodland parking area, which is the first parking lot when entering the park. It is a 1.6 mile loop. We suggest starting on the right section of the loop as this will hike you up a steep section rather than hiking you downhill. This trail goes through oaks and boulder piles. At the top are nice stands of banana yucca. From the top you also get great views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

Bellota Trail: This trail is accessed from the Group Use Area parking area. It is used on our environmental education school programs during the week, so don’t be surprised to see a school bus and a reserved sign. It is a 0.8 mile loop. The trail goes through parts of the sandy Kannally Wash with large oaks. You also will hike across open grassy areas with great views.

Windy Ridge Trail: This trail is across from the Group Use Area and also can be easily accessed from the Kannally Ranch House parking area. This is another environmental education/school program trail so watch for kids during the school year. It is a 0.9 mile loop. You hike along a sandy wash with great boulder piles. You will also journey on top of a ridge formed by a geologic formation called a dike.

Nature Trail: This trail is accessed at the end of the park road at the Kannally Ranch House parking area. It is a 1.2 mile loop. This is the only short loop trail that dogs are allowed on. If you start going right on the trail this is where our best springtime flowers start. You will also get great views of the areas’ history including; The Kannally Ranch House on the park, and parts of the San Manuel mining area which covered large sections of the valley in the distance.

Manzanita/Arizona/Wildlife Corridor: This combination of trails allows for about a 6 mile loop hike. It is accessed from the Kannally Ranch House parking area. You will hike a rolling terrain of oaks and open grasslands. Soaptree Yucca and desert scrub augment springtime desert flowers on the Arizona Trail section of this loop(the Arizona Trail starts near Mexico and extends to Utah).

Equestrian Trails

Equestrians can access the Arizona Trail and other designated multi-use paths from the American Avenue parking lot in Oracle. Multi-use trails include the Arizona Trail, Cherry Valley Wash, Windmill Trail Loop, Gasline Road, Kannally Wash, and Cottonwood Wash. The Firebreak Road Trail connects the Kannally Wash and Cottonwood Wash near the ranch house to divert equestrians away from the park’s inner trail system used for educational programming. Park staff are working on developing limited equestrian facilities at this trailhead parking lot off American Avenue.

Biking

From the Kannally Ranch House, access the Wildlife Corridor Trail via the Nature Trail, and head out to the Arizona Trail. Return on the Mariposa Trail from the American Avenue parking lot. Bicyclists can also use designated multi-use paths including the Cherry Valley Wash, Kannally Wash, Firebreak Road and Cottonwood Wash.

Wildlife Viewing

The diversity of vegetation, slope and elevation provide habitat for a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and more. The most commonly sighted mammals include the white-tailed deer, coyote, bobcat, javelina, gray fox, skunks (hognose, hooded and white striped) and cottontail rabbit but many many other smaller mammals could be named. Mountain lions are occasionally seen in the park; more often they leave a sign of their presence such as a deer carcass stashed up a tree limb.

Common bird sightings include the scrub jay, gambel’s quail, cardinal, great horned owl, cooper’s hawk, northern harrier, red tailed hawk, turkey vulture, gila woodpecker, rednaped sapsucker, curve billed and crissal thrashers, say’s phoebe, scott’s and hooded oriole, canyon towhee, green tailed towhee, spotted towhee, bridled titmouse, phainopepla, pyrrhuloxia, and many others depending on the time of year, including warblers, hummingbirds, sparrows and more.

Reptiles include the common western diamondback rattlesnake (pictured), bullsnake, ringneck snake, kingsnake, western fence lizard, earless lizard, Clark’s spiny lizard, ornate tree lizard and giant spotted lizards among others.

Learn more about Owls and Skunks in the Feature Story.

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