Ironwood National Monument near Marana, Arizona is an area that I have not explored. So off I went with Christine and some guests for a scenic tour and hike. The landscape is fascinating with the mountains, saguaros, and ironwood trees. The ironwood trees are the oldest trees in Arizona at 1500 years.
Ragged Top Mountain is the biological and geological crown jewel of the national monument. Several endangered and threatened species live here, including the Nichols turk’s head cactus and the lesser long-nosed bat. The national monument also contains habitat for the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl. The desert bighorn sheep dwelling in the region are the last viable population indigenous to the Tucson basin. The area holds abundant rock art sites and other archaeological objects of scientific interest. Humans have inhabited the area for more than 5,000 years. More than 200 sites from the prehistoric Hohokam period (600 A.D. to 1440 A.D.) have been recorded in the area.
The Bighorn Sheep are lambing now, so I resisted the temptation to find them. I'll wait until April when lambing season is over and see if I can find them.
The hike we took toward Ragged Top Mountain ended with a Bull standing in the middle of the trail and not wanting to move. We were ready to return to our car and continue on our way, so we turned around.
During our drive we came across an abandoned homestead, a Harris Hawk, Red Tailed Hawk, Gila Woodpeckers, a Loggerhead Shrike and a few other birds. Here are some of the day's photos:
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| Ironwood National Monument, Arizona |
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| Old Abandon Homestead |
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| Harris Hawk |
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| Red Tailed Hawk |
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| Gila Woodpecker |
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| Loggerhead Shrike |
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| Blocking the trail |
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