Friends of Oracle State Park

Friends of Oracle State Park, Inc.
P.O. Box 8405
Tucson, AZ 85738
(520) 818-7883

News from the Park

Oracle State Park, Center for Environmental Education

Current Status

Oracle State Park closed to the public in October 2009. In January 2010, because of more budget reductions leading to fewer park staff, the Arizona State Parks Board voted to suspend environmental education school programs at the park. Trail programs already scheduled this spring are honored but the last program in early May will end nearly twenty years of field trips to Oracle State Park by elementary school kids to get an interactive, hands-on lesson about local wildlife, habitat and our place in nature.

In April, Oracle State Park rangers will become Catalina State Park rangers and work full-time at the camping/hiking/recreation park closer to Tucson.  Catalina State Park is one of nine revenue-generating state parks that will remain open.  A few others have been rescued, or closure has been delayed, by intergovernmental agreements with local city and county agencies that will take over management of certain parks.  For more details on which parks are closing and when, visit www.azstateparks.com.

Steven Haas is Park Manager of both Catalina State Park and Oracle State Park, and can be contacted at Catalina S.P. (520-628-5798).  Volunteer caretakers are looking after the historic Kannally Ranch House. All park trails are currently closed to the public, except for the Arizona Trail. The four-mile Arizona Trail through the park remains open and accessible for multi-use (hiking/bicycle/horse-riding). Vehicle parking to access the Arizona Trail is limited to the north and south entrance of the trail into the park: at the Tiger Mine Road off Highway 77 north toward Mammoth, and the south entrance at Webb Road off Mt. Lemmon Road. Hikers through the park must stay on the Arizona Trail only.

If interested in volunteering at Oracle State Park as trail patrol or to help with park maintenance, contact OSP Volunteer Coordinator, Jennifer Rinio at: jenar2@azstateparks.gov

Music in the Park Spring Concerts

Though closed to the public seven days a week, Oracle State Park will open for three concerts this spring, thanks to Friends of Oracle State Park volunteers.  The sixth annual Music in the Park spring concert series is a fundraiser for FOSP, helping to fund needed maintenance repairs to the historic Kannally Ranch House and Homestead House.

Sunday, April 18, 2010: MUSIC IN THE PARK begins with a performance on the upper patio of the Kannally Ranch House, by Ismael Barajas, from 3pm-5pm.  Ismael is a Flamenco guitar specialist, and he and his trio are back to play a blend of styles using Salsa, Jazz, Bossa-Nova, Classical, Flamenco, and Mexican folk music.

TICKETS are $10 per person; kids age 13 and under are free.  A Series Ticket for all three concerts is $25 per person.  For Tickets, call Mary Ann Pogany at (520) 896-9269 or email: mapogany@msn.com.  For more information, visit www.FriendsOSP.org.  The park gate will open one hour before the start of each concert.

Sunday, May 16: MUSIC IN THE PARK continues with a concert by Kevin Pakulis from 5pm-7pm.  Kevin is an award winning singer/songwriter and guitarist, described as a cross between Tom Petty and Johnny Cash.

Sunday, June 13: MUSIC IN THE PARK final concert with Beau Renfro from 7pm-9pm.  Enjoy some great country music with Beau, who was recently inducted into the Indie Country Music Hall of Fame.