The Tanque Verde Ridge Trail leads deep into the Rincon Mountains and passes through 6 biotic communities en route to Tanque Verde Peak (7,049'), the highest point on the ridge.

Saguaros can weigh several tons, much of which is stored water in their expandable trunks

Cane Cholla is distinguished by thick trunks and deep purple joints

The Rincon Mountain District ranges from 2,670' - 8,666' and supports over 1,200 plant species on just 12.3" of annual rainfall

Manzanita, which means Little Apple in Spanish, covers the rocky outcrops of Tanque Verde Peak

Periodic intense, fast-moving fires stimulate growth and reproduction in the interior chaparral

Pinyon pine and alligator juniper are primary constituents of the Pine-Oak ecosystem

Javelina have unique adaptations of the lips, gums and teeth that enable them to eat cactus

Saguaros first grow branches after 50-75; this cactus may be over two hundred years old

The ringtail is a small mammal belonging to the Raccoon family with exceptional climbing ability

View of Rincon Peak (8,482') from Tanque Verde Peak (7,049')

Native Americans used barrel cactus as a cooking pot by inserting hot stones with food into the hollowed body

The Sonoran Desert is composed of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks that range from 2 billion to just 1,400 years old

The Tanque Verde Ridge Trail climbs nearly 4,000' to the summit, the highest outcrop on the ridge

The Juniper Basin Campground is partially shaded by a thick pine, oak and juniper canopy

Steep saddles are separated by rolling grasslands midway up Tanque Verde Ridge