Saddle Mountain and Palo Verde Hills
Tonopah, Arizona

About 40 miles (65 km.) west of Phoenix and to the south of Interstate 10 at Tonopah are a pair of volcanic mountains linked by a saddle of lower hills. The more dramatic western peak is Saddle Mountain. It is composed of lighter-colored lava, tuff and rhyolite. The eastern peaks are nearly black basaltic lava of Quaternary Age. The Bureau of Land Management controls the major portions but there are a number of private holdings surrounding the mountains and there are quite a few mining claims (none of which appear to be active). There are nonetheless many entryways and easy hiking. As the Tonopah area grows this will be an important asset for recreation.

The most direct access is from Exit #94 off I-10, turning south on 411th Ave. Saddle Mountain RV Park on the left offers civilized camping. Several miles south 411th Ave intersects the Buckeye-Salome Hwy. Drive west or east on this little used road to find a number of trails or jeep roads leading into the foothills.

Friends of Saddle Mountain

Area Map on Google

Birds

Commonly Encountered Species:

1. Northern Mockingbird - S,F,W,Sp
2. House Finch -- - S,F,W,Sp
3. Verdin -- - S,F,W,Sp
4. Phainopepla -- - W,Sp
5. Black-throated Sparrow -- - W,Sp
6. White-crowned Sparrow -- - W,Sp
7. Cactus Wren -- - S,F,W,Sp
8. Mourning Dove -- - F,W,Sp
9. Costa's Hummingbird -- - S,F,W,Sp
10. Rock Wren -- - S,F,W,Sp
11. Gila Woodpecker -- - S,F,W,Sp
12. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher -- - S,F,W,Sp
13. Gambel's Quail -- - S,F,W,Sp

After visits on March 8, 2003, and Aug. 29, 2004, I have recorded just one mammal species; numbers are low due to several years of drought.

1. Audubon's Cottontail

In general order of Abundance:

1. Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa) --
2. Teddy Bear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) --
3. Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea giganteus) --
4. Fishhook Pincushion (Mammalaria grahamii)
5. Compass Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus) -- Spines often tinged with red and yellow.
6. Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) --
7. Silver Cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa) --
8. Desert Christmas Cactus (Cylindropuntia leptocaulis) --

Shrubs and Trees

In general order of Abundance:

1. Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata)
2. Trangle-leaf Bursage(Ambrosia deltoidea) --
3. Foothills Palo Verde (Cercidium microphyllum) -
4. Ironwood (Olneya tesota) - A few along drainages
5. Desert Mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum) - Parasitic shrub growing upon various desert trees including Palo Verde and Ironwood.
6. White Ratany -- Krameria grayi -- purplish cast to woody stems
7. Cat-Claw Acacia (Acacia greggiii) - mostly along the washes
8. Wolfberry (Lycium spp.) - concentrated along wash banks
9. Chuparosa (Justicia californica ) - along wash banks
10. Bladder Sage (Salazaria mexicana) -- along wash banks
11. Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) -
12. Crucifixion Thorn (Castela emoryi) - the thorns are truely impressive
13. Desert Broom (Baccharis sarothroides) - mostly along road sides
14. Virgin's Bower (Clematis drummondii) -- along wash