Daisy Mountain Preserve
Coordinates: 33°53′21.65″N 112°06′50.52″W / 33.8893472°N 112.1140333°W
The Daisy Mountain Potential Preserve is a 6 square miles (16 km2) undeveloped Arizona State Trust Land area straddling the communities of Anthem, Desert Hills, northern area of Phoenix and New River Arizona, open to the public if they have a State Land Department Recreation Permit. The form is at http://www.land.state.az.us/programs/natural/RecreationPermit.pdf. Residents of the surrounding area enjoy hiking, horse back riding, photography, bicycling, birding, and other recreational activities within the potential preserve. Motorized vehicles are restricted by Arizona State Trust Land [1] and Maricopa County Dust [2] regulations. There is no water due to limited precipitation over the desert landscape, though intermittent or seasonal washes do exist. There are no designated trails although the Maricopa County Regional Trail's [3] Anthem Trailhead is near-by and a number of informal trails providing paths exist and can be used by mountain bikers, hikers and horse-riders. Plant life consists mostly of cacti and dry shrubbery. A portion of the potential preserve seems to be limited to residents of the Anthem Country Club only, though there is a county easement from the Maricopa County Regional Trail through the Country Club to the Daisy Mountain Arizona State Trust land. Visitors are encouraged to use their judgement as to avoid intrusion onto Country Club property.
Making the Daisy Mountain Arizona State Trust Land a Preserve is the major focus of the North Country Conservancy.[4]
Those interested in other places to hike in the area may wish to go to the New River Nature Preserve. [5]
References
http://www.land.state.az.us/programs/natural/recreation_permit.htm http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/compliance/dust/default.aspx http://www.maricopa.gov/parks/MaricopaTrail/ http://www.dflt.org/new-river-nature-preserve.php