Oracle State Park

This park was especially quiet when we went. For MLK day, admission was free to residents at all AZ state parks. I'm glad we picked this one, which is about 80 miles from our place. It's at a higher elevation, so be sure to check the weather and anticipate wind! It was warm in the sun, otherwise about 50°F. There are several pavilion and seating areas for taking breaks or even hosting guided tours along the trails. The Kennelly House has a small gift shop and a quiet bird watching area for meeting your party. We look forward to returning with both pups on our next visit. If you have a reactive rescue (like we do), it's an ideal series of trails. Lots of visibility to see oncoming hikers, and trails wide enough to pull to one side if needed. I'm sure there are probably snakes and lizards out when it's warm, but the only wildlife we saw was birds. Finally, there are visitor restrooms on-site at the parking lot and along the trails. Like everything else, they were clean and well maintained. Thanks, crew!

Fantastic hiking trails, knowledgeable park staff, well maintained, and excellent views and temperatures

One of the best places to view dark sky. I have always been fascinated by knowing how beautiful the night sky is and it's always right above our head. Just that you need the right conditions to see. Amazing place to see the milkyway and shooting stars with naked eyes. Will definitely go again.

good easy trail for kids under 8 and elders, otherwise it’s boring in this winter season. The Nature trail that's close to the gift shop has just sands and withered plants. The wild life trail can’t see any wild life, seldom any other hikers on the road. There are so many side ways that’s misleading. We miss the Wild life trail and proceed to firebreak road at first until we saw 4 others coming down from a hill. There’s only 1 ranger works at the gift shop. No other rangers guide you on the way. We arrive about noon and the gift shop was closed till 2pm. There are some gold finch birds perching at the bird feeder in front of the Ranch house. The 100 year old house is well maintained with some nice household display. Outside the house is a bit windy. The park close at 5pm so we barely have time to finish 3 trails. The Geology trail has nothing much to see. The granite loop maybe more fun with the boulder views. If you bring small kids, don’t forget to ask the ranger for the activity pamphlet and later return for the cool yellow badge. People seem to call in to book the star party at night while we were at the gift shop. You pay parking at the gift shop not the front door.

This park is outstanding. It is easy to park, with clean bathroom facilities throughout the park. There are well planned and maintained trails as well as sites to explore such as the historic Kannally Ranch House. There are plenty of activities sponsored throughout the year for the public. Attended an incredibly informative geology tour with Tom Buckley, Oracle State Park geologist. He was key in development of the self-guided geology tour at the park. There is a map and information that can be downloaded on your phone as well as a paper brochure.

I came down here to take my family for a nice day trip. The park ranger at the front desk, J. Hanson was very kind and helpful. We enjoyed going down into the historic sitting rooms in the ranch house. He also suggested taking the short interpretive trail to see the trails and the old cattle corral area. It was very windy but the trail insulated us more from it. Make sure to bundle up! Highly recommend taking a trip down here. We had a very good time. Thank you!

Went at night during a new moon in the summer and saw the milky way, as a dark sky park they are a great option to stargaze

Feb 5 2023: Took Nature Trail to Wildlife Corridor Trail to junction with Arizona Trail. Out and back was an easy 4 miles with wonderful views. Saw gray fox, white-tailed deer, and lots of birds. An enjoyable hike without many inclined

This gem of a park is a 40-minute drive from the north side of Tucson (e.g., Casas Adobes). Depending on how much hiking you plan to do, you may opt to combine a visit here with a visit to Biosphere 2 and a stop at the Oracle Patio Cafe in between. The Park is comprised of 4000 acres of Catalina foothills ranging from 3600-4600 feet of elevation. The trails are well-groomed and labeled as to whether hikers, leashed dogs, mountain bikes, and/or horses are allowed. For our visit, my partner and I parked in the Kannally Ranch House lot and started out on the 1.6 mile Wildlife Corridor Trail. Running primarily on ridge tops between the Kannally and Cottonwood washes, we enjoyed broad views of the Galiuro Mountains and San Pedro Valley. As the trail turned, we spotted the transmission towers on top of Mt. Bigelow in the Catalina range. Instead of heading toward the windmill/Kannally Wash at the end of the Wildlife Corridor Trail, we turned right onto the Arizona Trail for the next 1.7 miles of our trek. As we climbed up and down ridges, crossing four dry washes, we were treated to views of the snow-capped Rincons, as well as more views of the Catalinas and Galiuros. We also met three horseback riders, who passed without issue. We looped back to the ranch house on the Manzanita Trail. This trail was shaded in sections and had more bushes. We encountered several types of birds and two southern Arizona coues deer. What a treat! We spent approximately 2.5 hours on this 5.8 mile hike. The $7 per car load entry fee, which includes a visit to the historic ranch house, is a deal. As with all Arizona hikes, bring plenty of water, snacks, and sunscreen. From October-May, you may want to dress in layers if hiking early or late in the day.

Great place to hike in these difficult times. Easy to social distance on the well groomed trails. We only saw two hikers and they were off in the distance. Beautiful plants and grass. Not much parking so a weekday is best. We paid $7 in the office but they tagged our car for non-payment anyway. Weather is about 10 degrees cooler then the Valley.

This was our first visit to this state park and we enjoyed it. The ranger was very friendly and helpful, and the bathroom was clean and stocked with antibacterial soap. We started on the Nature Trail which was a bit boring, but once we got on the Granite Overlook Trail, the views were much more interesting. Trails are clearly marked, well-maintained, and clean. We only saw two other hikers, so we felt safe and were able to maintain social distancing. We look forward to exploring more of the trails in the future.

I like this place, great view of the mountains, cleaner air than Phoenix lol. The trails are good too I think, definitely will give your leg muscles a good workout. There is an entrance fee to get in on Saturdays(which is the only open day for the public) but its not much. As an educational center, it is open to groups(mon-fri) who make a reservation with the ranger that works there. Also on Saturdays they do tours of the house which was built I believe sometime in the 1930s but don't quote me on that one. More info on the state website. Worth checking out!!!

I went to Oracle State Park this past week on a 4th graders field trip. I will be the first to admit that I'm not the outdoorsy-get-in-touch-with-nature type of person but I loved it! It was so beautiful! There was a little bit of snow left from the storm that came through earlier in the week which made it even more exciting. The tours are led by volunteers and they are awesome. Our group was led by Dale, who used to be a park ranger but now graciously gives her time to educate people about the environment. She kept the kids (as well as the parents) so engaged with different activities along the hike - it was amazing! If you are looking for a group activity for school or girl/boy scouts, etc... I highly highly recommend doing this! Or just go up for a beautiful hike on a Saturday, you won't be sorry!