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34-686: San Tan Mountain Regional Park is a large rural/suburban park located in Pinal County . Although the park is administered by Maricopa County Parks, it is located within Pinal County. It encompasses over 10,000 acres and preserves a portion of the San Tan Mountains , south of Queen Creek . Comprising over 10,200 acres in the Sonoran Desert , the park sits south of Queen Creek Arizona and preserves

68-488: A cave near the foot of Goldmine Mountain, prior to building a shanty outside the cave. The two made their living by mining small claims in the area, finding copper, silver, turquoise, and gold. Over the next dozen years they used the proceeds of their mining to file 55 claims, which are still owned by Carter's heirs. Kennedy died in 1960 at the age of 86. After his death, Carter continued to mine, but also began to whittle figurines out of local wood and cactus skeletons. Nicknamed

102-401: A median income of $ 45,082 versus $ 34,785 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 21,716. About 10.1% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over. As of the census of 2000, there were 179,727 people, 61,364 households, and 45,225 families living in the county. The population density

136-544: A portion of the San Tan Mountains, located on their northeastern flank. It is located approximately 30 miles southeast of downtown Phoenix. Higley Basin is its northern border, while Chandler Heights sits to its northwest. The western and southern portions of the park are bordered by the Gila River Indian Reservation . The elevation of the park varies between 1,400 and 2,500 feet, with the highest point in

170-549: A stagecoach trail. In 1948 two prospectors, Mansel Carter and Marion Kennedy moved into the area. Carter was originally from Ohio, and after several different careers in his younger years which included piloting and logging, he moved to Gilbert in 1941, where he opened a camera shop. Kennedy was an American Indian from Oklahoma, where he attended the Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with Jim Thorpe . Initially they lived in

204-631: Is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona . According to the 2020 census , the population of the county was 425,264, making it Arizona's third-most populous county. The county seat is Florence . The county was established in 1875. Pinal County contains parts of the Tohono Oʼodham Nation , the Gila River Indian Community and the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation , as well as all of

238-523: Is an educational area detailing the lives of the desert tortoise . As of 2022, there are nine multiuse trails in the park, most of which are open to hiking, cycling and horseback riding. They include the Little Leaf Trail (0.7 mile), Stargazer Trail (0.8 mile), the Hedgehog Trail (1 mile), Moonlight Trail (1.3 miles), and San Tan Trail (6.4 miles). The Goldmine Trail (2.5 miles) allows you to hike to

272-401: Is land and 8.6 square miles (22 km ) (0.2%) is water. As of the census of 2010, there were 375,770 people, 125,590 households, and 92,157 families living in the county. The population density was 70.0 inhabitants per square mile (27.0 inhabitants/km ). There were 159,222 housing units at an average density of 29.7 units per square mile (11.5 units/km ). The racial makeup of

306-552: Is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Pinal County was carved out of neighboring Maricopa County and Pima County on February 1, 1875, during the Eighth Legislature . In the August 18, 1899, issue of The Arizona Magazine, the name "Pinal" is said to come from the pine-clad Pinal Mountains . Pinal County was the second-fastest-growing county in the U.S. between 2000 and 2010. In 2010, CNN Money named Pinal County as

340-408: Is represented by Catclaw acacia , Coastal bird's-foot trefoil , hairy lotus , Mojave lupine , ironwood , Foothills paloverde , and Velvet Mesquite . Examples of Boraginaceae include: Common fiddleneck , Panamint cryptantha , broad-nutted comb bur , and Arizona popcornflower . The Cactaceae are represented by: saguaro , Buckhorn Cholla , teddy bear cholla , Engelmann's hedgehog cactus , and

374-675: The Ak-Chin Indian Community . Pinal County is included in the Phoenix – Mesa – Chandler , Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area . Suburban growth southward from greater Phoenix has begun to spread into the county's northern parts; similarly, growth northward from Tucson is spreading into the county's southern portions. Pinal County has five cities: Maricopa , Casa Grande , Apache Junction , Eloy , and Coolidge . There are also many unincorporated areas , which have shown accelerated growth patterns in recent years; such suburban development

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408-532: The barrel cactus . The park is mostly used for recreational uses such as horseback riding, cycling, and hiking. In June 2003 a master plan was produced which called for development of the park to account for increased use, which will protect historical sites, vegetation and habitat. Special use areas will be created, and fencing to ward off sensitive areas, and closing off illegal access points. Trails and roads will be built or rehabilitated. The extensive mountain biking trails consist mainly of doubletrack trails. There

442-675: The "Old Man of the Mountain", he died at the age of 85 in 1987. The park was created in 1986 on approximately 6,800 acres owned by the United States Bureau of Land Management . An additional 3,400 acres owned by Maricopa County was incorporated into the park during the 1990s. The park is reached by paved roads; no roads or trails inside the park are paved except the area at the visitor center. The surrounding area consists mostly of agricultural fields, desert flats, low-lying hills, and housing developments. Pinal County Pinal County

476-399: The 61,364 households 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 21.1% of households were one person and 9.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.09. The age distribution was 25.1% under

510-579: The Elections Department. CoreCivic , while still known as Corrections Corporation of America, operated the privately owned Saguaro Correctional Center . located in Eloy in Pinal County, It is paid by the state of Hawaii to house the majority of Hawaii's male prison inmate population. The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Pinal County. † county seat Barrel cactus Barrel cacti are various members of

544-608: The June to September North American Monsoon season. The vegetation varies from creosote flats to saguaro forest. Fauna includes many species of reptiles, birds, and mammals. The flora falls into the Sonoran Desert scrub category, in the Arizona Upland vegetation subdivision, the wettest subdivision of the category. Within the park the flora falls into 239 taxa, broken into 52 families, 171 genera and 238 species, with approximately 90% of

578-669: The Republican Party won complete control of the Board of Supervisors. In 2022, the Arizona Supreme Court deemed their Road Improvement Tax (passed in 2018) as illegal due to the tax only applied to purchases under $ 10,000. In 2022, the county's elections department came under intense scrutiny following several mistakes in the primary election. At the time, the Elections Department had only two full-time employees. The Board of Supervisors found themselves being accused of not properly funding

612-409: The age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.6% were non-families, and 20.5% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.21. The median age was 35.3 years. The median household income was $ 51,310 and the median family income was $ 56,299. Males had

646-413: The age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.0 males. The median household income was $ 35,856 and the median family income was $ 39,548. Males had a median income of $ 31,544 versus $ 23,726 for females. The per capita income for

680-474: The area goes back to circa 1100-1450 A.D., the "classic period" of Hohokam history, consisting of rockpile fields located on large portions of the area. These are recognized as a sign of agricultural activity by the Hohokam, who most likely farmed agaves, yuccas, and chollas. With a few exceptions, the entire area was largely undeveloped before 1975. Those exceptions include minor prospecting, some cattle grazing, and

714-538: The central and eastern portions. The majority of exposed bedrock is either granite or schist, with rhyolitic volcanics existing in the northern Malpais Hills. The climate consists of sweltering hot summers and cool mild winters, with average monthly temperatures ranging from a high of 104 degrees Fahrenheit in July to a low of 65.1 degrees in January. The park averages about 8.95 inches of rain per year, with almost 60% occurring with

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748-508: The county by 3.2 percentage points but lost to Richard M. Nixon. As a result of the urban sprawl from Phoenix spreading into the county, a major political reversal has taken place between it and neighboring Maricopa County since the turn of the millennium. Maricopa County is now becoming more progressive as is the trend of most largely populated city centers in America. Pinal voters currently still trend more conservative for now. Donald Trump carried

782-663: The county by the second-largest margin for a Republican since statehood. Salaries for county elected officials are set by the Arizona Revised Statutes. All county elected officials except the Sheriff ( Mark Lamb as of 2017) and the County Attorney make a salary of $ 63,800, along with county benefits and compulsory participation in the Arizona State Elected Official Retirement Plan. In 2020,

816-438: The county was $ 16,025. About 12.1% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty threshold , including 25.5% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over. During the 20th century, Pinal was very much a bellwether county in U.S. presidential elections, having supported the winning candidate in every election between Arizona's statehood in 1912 and 2004 except for that of 1968, when Hubert Humphrey won

850-412: The county was 72.4% white, 5.6% American Indian, 4.6% black or African American, 1.7% Asian, 0.4% Pacific islander, 11.5% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 28.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.9% were German , 10.6% were Irish , 9.5% were English , and 2.8% were American . Of the 125,590 households, 37.0% had children under

884-662: The fruit has been known to last a full calendar year. The fruit can be easily removed but is not usually consumed because it is fairly dry and bitter. Native Americans collected the fruit as emergency food during extreme drought conditions. The Seri people distinguished three species of barrel cactus: In Mexico the flesh of the barrel cactus is candied and eaten as a treat. Barrel cacti are cultivated by plant nurseries as an ornamental plant . They are considered easy to grow and relatively fast growing. They may produce round offshoots. Barrel cacti can fall over because they grow based on sun orientation. They usually grow towards

918-430: The highest point in the park. The park has three entrances, on the north, east and south sides of the park. At the main entrance to the park off Phillips Road, there is a visitor center (built in 2005) with restrooms, a drinking fountain, indoor and outdoor desert-animal exhibits, and a small gift shop. The Goldmine entrance has parking and portable restrooms. The Rock Peak Wash trailhead has no services. Human presence in

952-539: The park situated in the Malpais Hills at 2,539 feet. Goldmine Mountain which sits in the northern section of the park, with the Malpais Hills in the south, between them sit an unnamed central highlands. These three mountain groups rise above the general plain of the park, which sits at 1500 feet. Proterozoic and Laramide granites are the predominant geology of the park, while Mid-Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks overlay Proterozoic and Cretaceous crystalline rocks in

986-536: The second fastest growing county in the USA. Pinal County has been identified as the second riskiest county for combined impacts of climate change from 2040 to 2060, largely due to high risks of extreme heat, fire hazard and economic and crop damages. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 5,374 square miles (13,920 km ), of which 5,366 square miles (13,900 km )

1020-787: The species being indigenous. The 10% of non-indigenous plants consist of 24 species. Almost 47% of the park's flora comes from five families: Asteraceae (35 genera, 42 species, 17.6%); Poaceae (20 genera, 26 species, 10.9%); Fabaceae (10 genera, 17 species, 7.1%); Boraginaceae (6 genera, 14 species, 5.9%); and Cactaceae (6 genera, 13 species, 5.4%). Some of the Asteraceae species include: San Felipe dogweed , Triangle-Leaf Bursage , Desert Broom , Desert Marigold , Brittlebush , Arizona Cottonrose , Burrobush , and Woollyhead neststraw . Examples of Poaceae include: Purple threeawn , Arizona brome , Red Brome , Bermuda Grass , desert fluff-grass , Bigelow's bluegrass , and Sixweeks fescue . Fabaceae

1054-466: The spines are long and can range in color from yellow to tan to red, depending on the age of the plant and the species. Flowers appear at the top of the plant only after many years. The barrel cactus can live to be over 100 years old. Barrel cactus buds typically start to bloom in April with a bright yellow or orange flower. Pink and red varieties also exist but occur less frequently. The flowers only appear on

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1088-411: The two genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus , endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico . Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert . Some species of barrel cactus reach over 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height at maturity, and have been known to reach 3 metres (9.8 ft) in some regions. The ribs are numerous and pronounced, and

1122-416: The very top of the plant. As the flowers begin to wilt in early May, they may change color. A late summer desert rainstorm can produce a late bloom, as shown in the photograph below of the orange-flowered variety (it bloomed two days after a hurricane in mid-August and continued to bloom through the end of September). As the flowers wilt away, small pineapple-shaped greenish fruit may form. Left untouched,

1156-526: Was 34 inhabitants per square mile (13 inhabitants/km ). There were 81,154 housing units at an average density of 15 units per square mile (5.8 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 70.4% White, 2.8% Black or African American, 7.8% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 15.7% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. 29.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 21.9% reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.4% speak O'odham and <0.1% speak Apache . Of

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