Oracle State Park: Granite Overlook Loop (Blog Hike #1001)

Trail: Granite Overlook Loop
Hike Location: Oracle State Park
Geographic Location: Oracle, AZ (32.60911, -110.73772)
Length: 1.8 miles
Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate/Difficult)
Date Hiked: February 2024
Overview: A loop hike, sometimes steep and rocky, to fantastic desert views.
Park Information: https://azstateparks.com/oracle
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=956639
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming date TBD)

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of American Avenue and Mount Lemmon Highway in downtown Oracle, drive Mount Lemmon Highway east 1.1 miles to the state park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, pay the park entrance fee, then turn right to park in the first parking area, which is the parking area for the Oak Woodland Area.

The hike: Consisting of 3948 acres of classic desert land in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Oracle State Park traces its lineage to one Mr. Neal Kannally.  Kannally bought the land in 1902, and for the next 74 years he and his family would operate a cattle ranch here.  In 1933, he completed construction of the Kannally Ranch House, a 4-level adobe structure that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Ranch House is open for self-guided tours and contains almost 30 oil paintings from cowboy artist Lee Kannally.

            In 1976, Kannally's last surviving sibling donated the land to the Defenders of Wildlife to create a wildlife refuge, and 10 years later it became a state park.  The park was named after the nearby town, which in turn was named after a ship some early miners in this area had traveled on.  In 2014, the park was recognized by the International Dark Sky Association as a dark sky park.

            Today wildlife still takes center stage here, and most of the park has been left in its natural state.  The park's few amenities include a group campground, some picnic shelters, and over 32 miles of trails.  Most of the park's trails are open to hikers, mountain bikers, and horses, but perhaps the park's best hiker-only trail is the Granite Overlook Loop described here.  This hike loops through a rocky area and climbs to the park's highest elevation, which offers fantastic views across the desert and to the nearby mountains.  Thus, this hike maximizes the scenery while requiring only a medium amount of effort.

Trailhead at Oak Woodland Area

            From the southwest corner of the parking area, pick up the signed Granite Overlook Loop as it begins a meandering course that heads more uphill than down.  Going this direction sends you on a counterclockwise journey around the loop.  Prickly pear cactus, mesquite, and scrub oak dominate the flora, but some grasses grow in the less rocky areas.  After rounding an initial knob, this hike's main destination comes into view ahead of and above you.

Looking up at the high point

            Just past 0.5 miles, you begin the steepest part of the climb.  A couple of rocky areas will need to be scrambled up, and this area is by far the hardest part of this hike.  About 500 feet later, you reach the flat summit area, which yields fantastic views.  Broad views across the San Pedro River valley open up to the northeast, and the snow-dusted Santa Catalina Mountains could be seen to the south on my visit.  Some benches near the summit encourage you to sit, rest, and take in the views.

View northeast over San Pedro River valley

View south to Santa Catalina Mountains

            The descent from the summit is more gradual and less rocky than the climb up, and the tough part could be avoided by doing this hike as a 2.4 mile out-and-back on just this section.  At 0.9 miles, the trail curves left to descend a bit more steeply and reach a trail shelter.  This shelter offers a broad desert view that is almost as good as the one at the summit.

Approaching a trail shelter

            At 1.35 and 1.45 miles respectively, the Windy Ridge Trail enters and then leaves from/to the right.  Unless you want to extend your hike by hiking to the Kannally Ranch House, which you can also drive to, turn left both times to remain on the Granite Overlook Loop.  Another 0.35 miles of fairly level walking on single-track dirt trail returns you to the parking lot to complete the hike.