Description:​

The Oracle State Park Nature Trail is a picturesque, 1.1-mile loop through the desert in the foothills north of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The trail follows a high mesa, allowing views of mountains in all directions. The park is also a wildlife refuge so there is a good chance for hikers to see a desert tortoise, bobcat, or gila monster.

The park Visitor Center is in a historic ranch house that once belonged to the Kannally family, who owned a cattle ranch in the early 1900s. The four-level ranch house has been preserved for the National Register of Historic Places with some original furniture and belongings. The house levels are connected by staircases that limit accessibility for people using wheelchairs.

At the Visitor Center, there is accessible parking, a gender-neutral restroom, and a gift shop that provides drinks, snacks, and hats. The trailhead is easy to locate at one end of the Visitor Center parking lot. Signs along the trail provide information about plants and animals, and directions to guide hikers along the route for easy wayfinding.

The trail is a natural, well-maintained, groomed surface with occasional ruts, rocks, roots, and some steep sections (slope >10 degrees). The trail can be hiked in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction; however, there are wooden stairs at the beginning and end of the hike that make wheelchair access difficult. There is no water and very little shade available along the hike. There is a fee for park entry, and dogs are allowed on leash.

Midway along the trail, there is a beautiful ramada with benches and shade along a wash which serves as a wildlife corridor. It is a nice place to see birds and enjoy the 360-degree view.

The hike can end with a picnic at one of the shady tables at the trailhead or in the comfortable chairs on the brick patio of the Visitor Center. In either case, the mountain views are spectacular, and you might meet one of the long-haul hikers on the famous Arizona Trail that crosses through the park.