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A family hikes on one of the nature trails at Oracle State Park.
Open every weekend this summer, Oracle State Park is the scenic destination for hikers, picnickers, and nature lovers. Special upcoming events include:
Bat Night on Saturday, July 23, featuring Joel Diamond, Ph.D, who is Regional Manager for Arizona Game and Fish. The 7:30 p.m. program begins with a 30-minute talk introducing various bats of Arizona. Diamond, a research ecologist, will then lead a netting event at a remote netting site a half-mile walk from the Kannally ranch house. This is an encore event, giving more visitors the opportunity to learn more about bats and get up close and personal to some of the flying mammal species in our neighborhoods. Reservation requested; call 520-896-2425.
Acorn Processing Demonstration on Sunday, August 7, with Sonoran Herbalist, John Slattery begins 8 a.m. The first event of an Ethnobotany Series, the event includes a short walk through the oaks and a discussion about gathering acorns. Slattery is author of a soon-to-be-released book, Southwest Foraging. Space is limited so reservation is required buy calling 520-896-2425. Sponsored by Friends of Oracle State Park.
Oracle Sate Park park is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; park admission is $7 per car at the main gate on Mt. Lemmon Rd. in Oracle. Reservations are made by calling the park office at 520-896-2425. Up-to-the-minute Oracle State Park event information is always posted on the state parks website: www.azStateParks.com/Parks/ORAC.
The historic Kannally ranch house is open for self-guided tours anytime during regular park hours. The multi-level Mediterranean-Revival style house, built in 1929-33 by one of the earliest cattle ranching families in Oracle, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. An exhibit of impressionistic-style cowboy paintings by self-taught artist Lee Kannally is on display in the living room and dining room.
For information about all 28 Arizona State Parks, the Trails and Off-Highway Vehicle Programs, and the State Historic Preservation Office, call 800-285-3703. Campsite reservations can be made online at AZStateParks.com or by calling the reservation call center at 520-586-2283. Follow AZStateParks on Twitter and Facebook.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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