Northwest Sonoran Desert, Arizona

Cactus, roadrunners, luminous sunsets—for most of us Arizona and desert are synonymous.

But as the state has grown, more and more of its desert lands have been swallowed by subdivisions and shopping centers. The existing Sonoran Desert National Monument protects 487,000 acres of this landscape south of Phoenix; the proposed new monument would protect more desert to the West.

From Phoenix to the eastern national monument boundary, take I-10 east and south about 16 miles to Exit 164/Queen Creek Road, turn right and continue on AZ-347 about 15 miles to Maricopa, AZ. Turn right onto AZ-238 and continue west about 16 miles to the national monument. More