Oracle State Park, International Dark Sky Park in Pinal County, Arizona, United States.
Oracle State Park is a natural preserve in Pinal County with multiple hiking trails through diverse ecosystems. The park spans rolling terrain with desert plants and provides opportunities for wildlife viewing and stargazing.
Neal Kannally and his family ranched this land from 1902; their holding once reached 50,000 acres, most later sold to mining companies. Neal's last surviving sibling, Lucile, left the remaining property to Defenders of Wildlife in 1976, and ten years later it was donated to the state of Arizona to create a wildlife refuge. The Kannally Ranch House, built 1929-1933, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Kannally Ranch House shows how early ranchers built their homes in this region. Its design reflects the building practices settlers used in the Arizona landscape.
The park has more than 15 miles of hiking trails, including 7 miles of the Arizona Trail, and the Kannally Ranch House is open for self-guided tours during park hours. The park reopened in October 2011 on a limited basis after Arizona State Parks agreed to a $40,000 budget contingent on the Friends group raising $21,000. Trails pass prickly pear and cholla cactus, scrub oak and mesquite, with a solitary saguaro in the park.
The park holds designation as an International Dark Sky Park, meaning light pollution is kept to a minimum. This makes it one of the few places where the night sky is clearly visible to the naked eye and through telescopes.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,780 contributors worldwide.