COMMUNITY
Calling All Future Kindergarteners! Maricopa Unified School District invites you to join teachers and staff to tour your new school! Learn about our full-day kindergarten program and register for the 2025-2026 school year.
During BLM’s review period, critics argued target shooting threatened cultural and natural resources the monument was designated to protect. Opponents contended shooting had damaged valued objects inside the monument, such as saguaro cacti and Native American petroglyphs. “The BLM worked to find a safe balance between various recreational uses of public lands while protecting objects of historic or scientific interest in the national monument,” said Phoenix District Manager Leon Thomas.
public comments, pared down target shooting from 435,700 acres down to just 5,295 acres of the monument, about 1% of its landmass. The BLM’s June decision banned shooting on the monument’s remaining 480,496 acres. BLM officials said target shooting is allowed on other bureau-managed lands in and around the Phoenix area, but not within the monument. About 93% of the 12.1 million acres of BLM-managed lands in Arizona remain open to dispersed recreational shooting.
by vehicular overuse.
Dispersed camping and picnicking are allowed throughout the monument unless otherwise posted. Desert camping allows visitors to take short scenic hikes and survey unique vegetation or the starry skies at night. Two small campgrounds at Margie’s Cove West and Table Top trailheads offer a restroom and three small campsites with a picnic table and grill. No water or hookups are available. Sites are first-come, first-served. The restrooms are wheelchair accessible, but there are no other accessible facilities at the monument. More than 460 miles of posted roads are available for backcountry, offroad vehicles and mountain bikes outside the wilderness areas. The monument is home to a variety of wildlife, including desert bighorn sheep, mountain lions, mule deer and javelina. Many small birds and reptiles thrive year-round, including bats, owls, rattlesnakes and the Sonoran Desert tortoise. If you’re lucky, you might even spot the Arizona state mammal, the ringtail. Collecting, removing or damaging natural and cultural resources, such as artifacts, live or dead plants and rocks, are prohibited.
BLM officials urge visitors to “know before you go” to the monument by checking with the office for current conditions. The monument is a remote area, and recreational opportunities are on primitive trails and access roads that are not maintained. No water or trash collection is provided. Cellular phones do not work in many areas of the national monument, according to the BLM, but reception is strong near Hidden Valley. “There aren’t a lot of paved roads,” BLM spokesman Chris Wonderly said. “The monument is just a lot of wilderness.” The monument’s elevation ranges from 1,000 to 4,400 feet, so summer can be rough on visitors. Wonderly said the best time to enjoy the monument is from late October to mid- April when the weather is cooler. Monument visits during summer months are discouraged, with temperatures often above 110 degrees. Otherwise, it is recommended that visitors pack in plenty of water, sunscreen, sunglasses and large-brimmed hats. The desert sun stirs up rattlesnakes and other reptiles as early as this month, BLM officials warn, so be on the lookout.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Visitors are allowed to park off SR 238 at the access points and hike in from there. The area north of 238 and south of the North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness is closed to vehicle entry without written permission. Visitors can request a letter of agreement to access these areas by contacting the Lower Sonoran Field Office. Construction has closed Roads 8002b, 8002c
The Sonoran Desert National Monument’s wilderness areas offer many opportunities to explore and discover the secrets of the Sonoran Desert. The North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness, the South Maricopa Mountains Wilderness and the Table Top Wilderness areas allow for solitude and unconfined recreation, BLM officials said. The North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness has two hiking and equestrian trails: the 9-mile Margie’s Cove Trail and the 6-mile Brittlebush Trail. The Table Top Wilderness also has two hiking and equestrian trails: the 7-mile Lava Flow Trail and the 3-mile Table Top Trail. A four-wheel-drive route follows the trail corridor for about 10 miles through the national monument. Offroad vehicle advocate Sonny Hawkins, who lives in Hidden Valley, said the trail corridor is much too narrow for more than one offroad vehicle. The area north of SR 238 and just west of Maricopa is temporarily allowed for hiking and equestrian use only to allow for natural reclamation of resource damage caused
and 8002 from SR 238 to BLM’s Road 8003.
From Maricopa to the southern part of the national monument, take John Wayne Parkway south to Interstate 8 via State Route 84. Proceed west on I-8 to Vekol Road and turn south. For information about other access routes, contact BLM’s Phoenix field office at 602-867-5400.
MUSD KINDERGARTEN INFORMATION NIGHT Tuesday, February 11, 2025 Times vary by location Documents needed for registration: • Parent/Guardian ID • Child’s Birth Certificate • Immunization Records • Proof of Residency (electric bill, water bill, etc.)
For more information, contact your school site:
Butterfield Elementary School 43800 W. Honeycutt Rd 520-568-6100 Maricopa Elementary School 18150 N. Alterra Pkwy 520-568-5160 Pima Butte Elementary School 42202 W. Rancho El Dorado Pkwy 520-568-7155 Saddleback Elementary School Maricopa Accelerated Program Available 18600 N. Porter Rd 520-568-6110
Santa Cruz Elementary School 19845 N. Costa Del Sol Blvd 520-568-5170 Santa Rosa Elementary School Spanish Dual Language Immersion Available 21400 N. Santa Rosa Dr 520-568-6150
Once access is established,
visitors can find hiking, backpacking, stargazing, camping, hunting, motor touring, sightseeing, photography and horseback- riding opportunities. Visitors can hike or ride horseback virtually anywhere in the Sonoran Desert National Monument. The four designated wilderness trails offer a unique opportunity to explore the backcountry.
www.MUSD20.org/kindergarten
InMaricopa.com | February 2025
February 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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