AZ-Mt.+Graham--Noon+Creek+Picnic+Area

Also, see Mt. Graham
 * =Birding in Arizona=

Graham County
=Mt. Graham= =Noon Creek Picnic Area= Coronado National Forest Safford, Arizona 85546 Mt. Graham webpage Mt. Graham--Noon Creek Picnic Area webpage

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Mt. Graham--Noon Creek Picnic Area
Coordinates: 32.6680514, -109.7949096 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Noon Creek Picnic Area
The name “Noon Creek” comes from the fact that when pioneer settlers traveled this way on excursions into the Pinaleño Mountains, this was usually as far as they were able to get via horse and wagon by lunch time of the first day. Noon Creek thus became a traditional lunch stop along the historic travel route into the Pinaleños and it remains a popular picnic spot today. The surroundings here are typical of mountain oak woodlands with junipers and scrub oaks standing as the tallest trees, while satin barked manzanita, saw-leafed sotol and soaptree yucca form a picturesque understory. As you enjoy your favorite picnic dish in this setting, keep an eye out for some of the local residents. You may catch a glimpse of a spiny lizard or a raspy-voiced cactus wren, a bird well adapted to life in this dry, bristling environment. Even if you don’t see the latter, you can usually hear their raspy call. Watch for roadrunners, too, as they dart among the underbrush always on the lookout for a slithery meal. Bear Warning: To avoid putting a bear’s life in danger and risking the loss of some of your own property as well, please dispose of all garbage in the bear-proof containers provided. Also remember to keep all food out of reach and out of sight of these curious, powerful animals. Watch for poison ivy and snakes along the streambed of nearby Noon Creek. Ladybug and Round the Mountain Trails are nearby (See those pages of the guide). From Mt. Graham--Noon Creek Picnic Area webpage

About Mt. Graham
The Pinaleno Mountains are the most dominant mountain feature in southeastern Arizona, the towering range rising over 7,000 feet over the Gila River Valley and the cities of Safford, Thatcher, and Pima in Graham County. Mount Graham is the highest of the peaks that breach the 10,000-foot barrier, while nearby Hawk Peak is home to the Mount Graham Observatory, its buildings visible from below and even from vantage points on distant peaks. The whole range is often informally referred to as "Mount Graham".

The mountain is named for Lt. Col. James Duncan Graham of the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, the name being given to the mountain in 1846 by his friend, Lt. William Emory. At the time, the mountain was part of Mexico. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War, but the treaty gave the United States jurisdiction to lands north of the Gila River, not south. In 1854, the Gadsden Purchase extended the United States jurisdiction to its current-day boundary. Graham County is named after its most notable feature, the county being formed in 1881. Not surprisingly, Mount Graham is the highest point in Graham County, and somewhat surprisingly, it is also the most prominent mountain in Arizona, its 6,320 feet of prominence beating out Mount Humphreys near Flagstaff. Most people don't need the math to underscore the visual impressiveness of the mountain, as viewed from points around Safford. It is a huge, magnificent mountain. From Mt. Graham webpage

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media type="custom" key="29253191" || L733485 US US-AZ US-AZ-009 32.6680514 -109.7949096 Mt. Graham--Noon Creek Picnic Area