Picacho Peak State Park

Transcription

The drive along Interstate 10 from Phoenix to Tucson largely consists of a flat desert landscape with even cactus being scarce and most mountains remaining in the distance. As you approach Casa Grande from the north, however, a strangely shaped piece of land appears on the horizon at the southern end of Pinal County. As one drives closer, Picacho Peak, located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Tucson, comes into full view. The name, Picacho Peak, is redundant as Picacho means peak in Spanish, making the name Peak Peak. The Interstate 10 traverses through Picacho Pass, which is a small portion of flat land between the Picacho Mountains to the north and Picacho Peak to the south. The pass has been used for centuries by people who are traveling east to west and west to east through the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, Picacho Peak acting as a distinctive marker to guide their way. The tallest peak of the Picacho Mountains is Newman Peak at 4,506 feet (1,373 meters) above sea level, while Picacho Peak’s summit reaches about 3,374 feet (1,028 meters) in elevation. Picacho Peak is about 22 million years old and was created when an ancient volcano left behind lava that eroded into the shape we see today. The unique shape of Picacho Peak stands out from the mountains beside it as it rises 1,574 feet (478 meters) above the Interstate 10 below. Prior to European exploration and settlement, Picacho Peak was part of the Hohokam Native Americans’ home in the desert southwest. These people inhabited the area until about the 15th century and left behind petroglyph drawings in the nearby Picacho Mountains. Ruins of some of their larger settlements can still be seen, such as those at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument just to the north. When Spanish explorers traveled the area in the 18th and early 19th centuries, they often noted Picacho Peak as a landmark as they passed by. Juan Bautista de Anza’s expedition from southern Arizona to San Francisco Bay between 1775-1776, passed by Picacho Peak on their way to California. In 1846, during the Mexican-American War, the Mormon Battalion traveled through Picacho Pass after leaving Tucson. In 1853, Picacho Peak and the pass beside it were included in the Gadsden Purchase, which saw the transfer of the land that is now southern Arizona, south of the Gila River, from Mexico to the United States. In the years that followed, the Butterfield Overland Stage established a route between Texas and California that ran through Tucson, up through Picacho Pass, and west along the Gila River to California. The most noted historic event that took place at Picacho Pass was in 1862 during the American Civil War when the largest civil war engagement in what is now Arizona took place beside the peak. The Confederate States of America had created the Confederate Territory of Arizona in 1861 out of what was then the New Mexico Territory of the Union. The Confederacy claimed everything south of the 34th parallel across what is now southern Arizona and New Mexico, as the Arizona Territory. This included Tucson, and what would later become the Phoenix area. Phoenix did not yet exist at the time and Tucson was still a small town of only about 1,000 people. The capital of the Arizona territory was Mesilla, a town north of El Paso, Texas. During the Civil War, Union troops faced off against Confederate troops, mostly from Texas, for control of the southwest. The Confederacy’s interest in these lands partially stemmed from the mineral resources available there that could potentially be utilized through the use of slave labor. Claiming land in the southwest also expanded the Confederacy’s boundaries, so the Union would not be able to maintain as successful a blockade of its borders. The largest battles in the southwest during the war took place in what is now New Mexico and included the Battle of Valverde and the Battle of Glorieta Pass, both of which involved thousands of soldiers. On February 28, 1862, 120 Confederate cavalrymen from Texas were welcomed in Tucson because they provided protection against Apache Native American raids. The Confederate flag was raised in the Old Pueblo, which caught the attention of the 1,800 volunteer Union troops across the Colorado River in California at Fort Yuma. Detachments of Union soldiers began moving east up the Gila River. A small skirmish occurred between Union forces and a group of 10 Confederates who were burning hay at Stanwix Station, a stop on the Butterfield Overland Stage route. This occurred in what is now Yuma County, Arizona and was the westernmost exchange of fire between Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War. One Union soldier was wounded in the brief skirmish and the Confederates retreated to Tucson. The hay they burned along the way delayed the approach of the Californians. In mid-April, Union troops left the Pima Villages located near modern Sacaton and approached Picacho Pass, which they would have to go through in order to reach Tucson. 10 Confederate cavalry soldiers, led by Sergeant Henry Holmes, were waiting for them there. The Union troops were led by William Caloway and Lieutenant James Barret. Caloway sent a small group of 13 cavalry under Barret to look for the Confederates that were reported to be nearby. Barret was ordered not to engage the enemy, but simply to report on their location. Acting against his orders, Barret and his men captured three Confederate soldiers before taking cover in a mesquite thicket in Picacho Pass where the remaining seven Confederates ambushed them. A 90 minute skirmish ensued. During the fighting, Barret was struck in the neck by a bullet, which killed him instantly. Two other Union troops were killed and three more wounded. The remaining Union cavalry retreated and Barret’s body was buried in the pass. Barret’s grave remains beside the railroad tracks today, unmarked, while the bodies of the other two Union soldiers killed were later removed to the National Cemetery in San Francisco, California. The Confederates returned to Tucson where they brought word of the approaching Californians, thus destroying any chance of a Union surprise assault on the city. The Union soldiers returned to the Pima Villages and built Fort Barret, named after the fallen lieutenant. On May 14th, Confederate Captain Sherod Hunter withdrew his men from Tucson before the Union soldiers could arrive, only leaving behind a small detachment of 10 men with orders to watch for the Union advance. On May 20, 1862, about 2,000 Union troops approached Tucson from the north through the Canada del Oro, in what is now Oro Valley, instead of from the west as the Confederates expected, catching the 10 remaining militia off guard. Union forces reclaimed Tucson without firing a single shot and ended the Confederate occupation that had only lasted 80 days. Less than a year later, on February 24, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Arizona Organic Act, creating the Arizona Territory by splitting the existing New Mexico Territory in half. After over a decade of planning, Picacho Peak State Park was opened in 1968. The park currently encompasses 3,747 acres, including the peak and surrounding Sonoran Desert lands. Every spring, Civil War reenactors gather at the park to educate visitors and commemorate the Battle of Picacho Pass. Gold wildflowers bloom on the peak in the spring after the winter rains. A trail offers hikers the opportunity to climb the peak to a small flat area at the top where one can experience excellent views of the surrounding desert. Portions of the trail near the top include metal cables and catwalks, making the hike one of the few via ferrata in the United States, which is Italian for iron road. Via ferrata routes are more commonly found in areas of Europe such as the Alps. Sonoran Desert wildlife abounds in the park, with several different cactus species, including the prominent Giant Saguaro. Desert reptiles including chuckwallas, gila monsters, rattlesnakes, and several others can be found among the desert environment, along with a variety of native birds and some mammals, such as coyote and javelina. When hikers reach the top of the peak, white-throated swifts can be seen and heard zooming around the cliffs. Twilight author, Stephanie Meyer, used Picacho Peak as the setting for her science fiction novel, “The Host.” In the book, humans hiding from an alien invasion use the location as a remote hideout in the desert. The park is easily accessible right off of the Interstate 10 and is located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Tucson. A small community named Picacho of about 500 people sits just a few miles northwest of the park. Park entrance fees are currently $7 per vehicle or $3 for an individual on bike or foot. There is a visitor center, camping facilities, and a small memorial trail featuring monuments related to the park’s history. If you do intend to make the hike to the top of Picacho Peak, be sure to wear sun protection and take plenty of water in the dry desert heat. If you enjoyed this video, be sure to hit the like button and subscribe to my channel for future videos. You can also like my Facebook page for updates there. Leave a comment below with any feedback, additional information you may like to share, or suggestions for future videos you would like to see. You can check out another video on Bear Canyon and Seven Falls right here. Thanks for watching.