Come to the historic Yuma Territorial Prison SHP in January for two full days of Gunfights and Re-enactments. The action starts at 9:00 am each day with a new team performing every 20 minutes. Then at noon on Saturday January 8th see some of the most accurate historic costuming in the country during our 13th annual costume competition. At 2:00 pm the Gunfights Resume till 4:00 pm.

On Sunday there is a memorial service for fallen but not forgotten gunfighters at 9:00 am then at 9:30 am the gunfight competition begins with a full day of action packed reenactments. The competition ends about 3:00 pm when 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies will be awarded. You can always take a break from the gunfights and tour the historic Territorial Prison or browse some of the great vendors offering historic clothing and libations.

Entry Fee $7.00 for adult (Ages 14+), $2.00 Children (Ages 7 to 13), Ages 6 and Under FREE with Adult. Download Event Information ( 788 KB PDF)

 
Jan. 2011

Parks Closed:
The following parks are currently Closed: Homolovi Ruins SP
(park will re-open), Lyman Lake SP,
Oracle SP. Learn More.

Note: McFarland SHP has re-opened as the Town of Florence Visitor Center. Learn More.

Next Parks Board Meeting:
Jan. 12, 2011
Learn More.

January 2011 Calendar of Events

January 8 - Lost Dutchman State Park
Ranger led hike
9 am. Jacob's Crosscut. 2.4 miles round trip. Easiest.

January 8 - Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
Beginners' Photography Class
9:00 am to Noon. Award-winning photographer and Phoenix Camera Club field trip coordinator Pete Rendek invites entry-level photographers to go beyond the basics with an indoor/outdoor workshop he's calling "Photo Basics: Nature, Landscapes & Critters Vs. You & Your Camera" Enrollment is $30 for Arboretum annual members, $37.50 for nonmembers. Call 520-689-2723 to pre-register and prepay. "We'll start with a 45 minute slide presentation. I anticipate a lot of questions, so we'll spend 60-90 minutes on slides and questions, and after that we'll head into the gardens for participants to train their lenses on a landscape, a macro, and a critter shot. This workshop should last about 3-4 hours.

Edible and Medicinal Desert Plants Guided Walk
1:30 pm. Ethnobotanist Dave Morris returns as our special guest tour guides December 26, Sunday, sharing his knowledge about the ways desert plants have fed, healed and clothed Sonoran desert peoples for more than a thousand years — and also sharing his wealth of puns and quick wit. Apache Junction co-authors Jean Groen and Don Wells lead this walk January 8, 2011. Please note: this tour explores the Curandero Trail, which has steep sections that are not suitable for visitors who use wheelchairs or walkers

Winter Visitor Welcome
Tours at 11 am. Concert at Noon. Saturday and Sunday, from with guided tours followed by a concert at noon. Got an out of state driver’s license? Show your WI, MN or IA license — Canadian provinces, too — for an admission special both days of this weekend. Concert at noon features Minnesota humorist and troubadour Mark Fogelson.

Night Landscapes Photography Shoot
4:00 - 8:00 pm. Arboretum members are invited to learn approaches to nocturnal landscape photography from award-winning photographer and Phoenix Camera Club field trip coordinator Pete Rendek on January 8, Saturday. $30 pre-registration for members — or $37.50 to nonmembers — includes an indoor presentation and discussion in the lecture room from 4:00-5:30, followed by a field session shooting evening and after-dark landscapes on the arboretum grounds from sunset at 5:30 until full darkness, ending around 8:00. Bring your camera and tripod and try your hand at something new — photography after dark. To register and prepay call 520-689-2723 during business hours. Read about Pete Rendek and see more of his work

January 9 - Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
Dog Socialization Walk
8:30 am. Sundays, Dogs are welcome at the Arboretum, provided they're on good behavior and a short leash — and also are accompanied by owners who pick up after their canine compadres. Jan. 9 Becky and her agility dog George are guides. Pre-registration is not required, just be here by the time walks begin at 8:30 am from the visitor center breezeway.

Winter Visitor Welcome
Tours at 11 am. Concert at Noon. Saturday and Sunday, from with guided tours followed by a concert at noon. Got an out of state driver’s license? Show your WI, MN or IA license — Canadian provinces, too — for an admission special both days of this weekend. Concert at noon features Minnesota humorist and troubadour Mark Fogelson.

Gourd Art Class With Gerald & Vicki Johnson
8:30 am. Noon until 4:00 pm. Learn to burn, paint, etch and emboss decorative gourds with coaching from Mesa artist Gerald Johnson. Pre-registration is required, and this class is limited to 12 students from noon until 4:00 pm. Enrollment is $37.50 (or $30 to Arboretum annual members) includes a gourd and full morning of coaching and artistic inspiration. Call 520-689-2723 to enroll and prepay!

Two O'Clock Sunday Stories
2:00 pm. Kids and adults are invited to Sunday readings of kids books in January, with ‘The Adventures of Flat Cactus Jack’ read by authors Jean Groen & Don Wells Jan. 9. Readings are usually followed by a participatory craft activity.

January 12 - Lost Dutchman State Park
Pet Friendly Hike
9 am. Volunteer led Pet Friendly hike, 3 miles round trip, Easy.

January 14-16 - Lake Havasu State Park
Groovy: Buses By The Bridge
The London Bridge Bullis Vintage Volkswagen Bus Show and Camp Out returns for another groovy year of camping, food, free tacos and very slow drag races. Whether you call them split-windows, splittie, split, microbus, micro, transporter, bulli, samba or transporters, perhaps no other vehicle better symbolizes the Woodstock era (www.busesbythebridge.com External Link)

January 15 - Lost Dutchman State Park
Ranger led Hike on Treasure Loop
9 am. Ranger led hike on Treasure Loop. 2.5 miles round trip. Moderate.

Campfire Stories
6:30-7:30 pm. Ron Feldman, author of History of the Superstition Mountains. Local authority will share stories of Superstitions mines and history at Cholla campfire ring. Remember to dress warmly for all evening programs and bring a chair.

January 15 - Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
The Zen of Macro Photography — Workshop With Andrew Henry
 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Enroll soon if you're interested in this singular class — our prior Zen Photograph workshop with Ander Henry had a waiting list, and earned accolades from participants. Cost to enroll is $20 for Arboretum annual members, $27.50 for nonmembers; call 520-689-2723 to prepay and reserve a spot. As Andrew describes it: "Zen Macro photograph is about observing the details that make the larger picture which surrounds you. For example: it is not just the tree, but the leaf! No special equipment will be needed for this workshop, nor is there a required special lens. Anyone with questions is welcome to email andrewhenryphotography(at)gmail.com

January 16 - Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
Tree Tour with Terry Mikel
1:30 pm. "What's an Arboretum?" Terry Mikel is our special guest as tour guide for a Sunday walk where visitors learn the answer to that often-posed question during a relaxed and leisurely guided tour through the forested areas of the Arboretum. Join us for a chance to learn about the towering sycamore and cottonwood trees, native hackberry, mesquite and many more.

Two O'Clock Sunday Stories
2:00 pm. Kids and adults are invited to Sunday readings of kids books in January, then ‘Life in the Slow Lane: A Desert Tortoise Tale’ Jan. 16. Readings are usually followed by a participatory craft activity.

January 16 - Catalina State Park
Sunday Guided Hike
8:30 am. For Sunday hikes, please bring water, hat and, possibly, a snack. Must wear hiking boots. Pace will be moderate. Round-trip mileage, duration and elevation changes are approximate. Hike listings are subject to change. For safety reasons, four hikers are required for a hike to take place. If rain threatens or happens, a hike may be canceled and in such case the leader will phone registered hikers ASAP before hike time (probably around 7:30 am). Please register with Gaston Meloche by 4 pm the day prior to the hike at (520) 638-5404.

Details about this hike: January 16 -[6-7mi/300’] Leave from the main trailhead. Destination: “Dripping Springs”+.

January 17 - Lost Dutchman State Park
Ranger Led Moonlight Hike
7-9 pm. Ranger led Moonlight hike. Remember to dress warmly for all evening programs and bring a chair.

January 19 - Lost Dutchman State Park
Volunteer led Hike
9 am. Volunteer led hike, Geology of the Superstitions, 2.4 mile round trip-Treasure Loop. Moderate.

Campfire Songs
6:30-7:30 pm. Come join Jim Potocki in singing some of your old favorite campfire songs at Cholla campfire ring. Remember to dress warmly for all evening programs and bring a chair.

January 23 - Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
Two O'Clock Sunday Stories
2:00 pm. Kids and adults are invited to Sunday readings of kids books in January, a special book about The Land Down Under on Jan. 23 during our big Australia Days weekend. Readings are usually followed by a participatory craft activity.

January 23 - Catalina State Park
Sunday Guided Hike
8:30 am. For Sunday hikes, please bring water, hat and, possibly, a snack. Must wear hiking boots. Pace will be moderate. Round-trip mileage, duration and elevation changes are approximate. Hike listings are subject to change. For safety reasons, four hikers are required for a hike to take place. If rain threatens or happens, a hike may be canceled and in such case the leader will phone registered hikers ASAP before hike time (probably around 7:30 am). Please register with Gaston Meloche by 4 pm the day prior to the hike at (520) 638-5404.

Details about this hike: January 23 - [6-7mi/300’] Leave from the main trailhead. Destination: “Park’s best-known short trails”.

January 26 - Lost Dutchman State Park
Ranger led Hike
4:45 pm. Volunteer led Sunset Hike, opportunity for wonderful photos. 3 mile round trip, Easy.

January 29 & 30 - Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park
Civil War Days
Activities will be announced.

January 29 - Lost Dutchman State Park
Ranger led Hike
9 am. Ranger Led hike on Siphon Draw, 4.2 miles round trip. Difficult. 3.5 hr.

Author & Hiker
6:30-7:30 pm. Ted Tenny, author and master hiker will discuss the picturesque wilderness of the Goldfield Mountains at Cholla campfire ring. Remember to dress warmly for all evening programs and bring a chair.

January 29 - Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
Tom Boggan Photography Walk-A-Bout
Learn outdoor photography tips from a Pro during a monthly 'walk-a-bout' photo workshops with Gilbert artist Tom Boggan. His once-a-month outdoor shoots are a chance to improve your camera skills on a relaxed morning or afternoon, with beautiful garden scenes and alongside a pro — and with plenty of chances to ask questions about the dials, settings and control on your own camera. Gilbert professional photographer Tom Boggan has a talent for portraits and a passion for nature photography, and he generously volunteers a morning each month helping our visitors improve their camera skills. Workshops with Tom are limited to eight students. Pre-payment of $27.50 is required ($20 for BTA annual members). Enroll by phone, have your credit card ready and call our staff at 520-689-2723.

January 30 - Catalina State Park
Sunday Guided Hike
8:30 am. For Sunday hikes, please bring water, hat and, possibly, a snack. Must wear hiking boots. Pace will be moderate. Round-trip mileage, duration and elevation changes are approximate. Hike listings are subject to change. For safety reasons, four hikers are required for a hike to take place. If rain threatens or happens, a hike may be canceled and in such case the leader will phone registered hikers ASAP before hike time (probably around 7:30 am). Please register with Gaston Meloche by 4 pm the day prior to the hike at (520) 638-5404.

Details about this hike: January 30 - [6-7mi/300’] Leave from Equestrian Center trailhead. Destination: “Backcountry loop”.