Did you know that over 300 species of birds have been found at the Hassayampa River Preserve? Enjoy an easy-paced walk with seasoned birder and bird bander Anne Leight to spot and identify the many resident and migratory birds of the Preserve. Some binoculars are available to borrow. MEETING LOCATION: Preserve Visitor Center.

Limit 10 participants. To register, please call the Preserve Visitor Center at 602-506-2930 ext. 9. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call the Preserve Visitor Center ASAP so we may contact those on the waiting list.  

Join Ranger Steve at the Nature Center for an interactive display of venomous animals and a discussion of their vital role in our ecosystem, “busting” myths about their behaviors, and have all your questions answered! Get hands on and hold items like snake skins, rattles, and even skeletons!
MEETING LOCATION: Preserve Visitor Center

No registration required, just drop in between 2:00 – 4:00pm!

Enjoy an evening of stargazing with astronomy enthusiast Ranger Steve! We’ll be viewing a selection of objects through a small telescope. Possibilities include plants, galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters! We’ll also look at constellations with a laser pointer. Bring your questions! Family friendly program. Restrooms are available nearby, but please bring your own water/beverages. Please dress appropriately for the weather (layers and a light jacket if needed).

MEETING LOCATION: Main Parking Lot; Note: All participants must pay entry fee in Visitor Center.

Limit 15 participants. To register, please call the Preserve Visitor Center at 602-506-2930 ext. 9 with your name, phone number and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call the Preserve Visitor Center ASAP so we may contact those on the waiting list. Registration for this program will close on 3/7/24 or if the program fills.

Wickenburg West Fest

Saturday, March 9, 2024, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Stone Park, 164 E. Apache Street, Wickenburg, AZ

Gun show reenactment, live music, petting zoo, horse-drawn carriage rides, food trucks, vendors, and more.

Contact the Town of Wickenburg for more information.

Join Ranger Eric for a guided bird walk to look and listen for resident and migrant species within the diverse desert riparian habitat of the Hassayampa River Preserve. Along the way we will discuss how to identify birds by sight and sound, and about the behavioral and ecological traits that make them unique. Some binoculars are available to borrow. Please wear sturdy footwear and sun protection and carry ample water for yourself.

MEETING LOCATION: Preserve Visitor Center

Limit 10 participants. To register, please call the Preserve Visitor Center at 602-506-2930 ext. 9 with your name, phone number, and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call the Preserve Visitor Center ASAP so we may contact those on the waiting list. Registration for this program will close on Saturday, 3/9/24.

Enjoy the Preserve trails to learn about the unique plants and animals of this lush desert riparian ecosystem, and cultural history of the Hassayampa River! We will walk on mostly flat, but occasionally uneven or sandy trails for 1-2 miles total, as we check out Palm Lake and one of the trails along the river. Please dress in layers, wear sturdy footwear and sun protection, and carry ample water. Restrooms are available at the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center and a water bottle refilling station is located on the backside of the restrooms building.

MEETING LOCATION: Preserve Visitor Center

Limit 12 participants. To register, please call the Preserve Visitor Center at 602-506-2930 ext. 9 with your name, phone number and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call the Preserve Visitor Center ASAP so we may contact those on the waiting list. Registration for this program will close on Sunday, 3/10/24.

Join Ranger Eric for a guided bird walk to look and listen for resident and migrant species within the diverse desert riparian habitat of the Hassayampa River Preserve. Along the way we will discuss how to identify birds by sight and sound, and about the behavioral and ecological traits that make them unique. Some binoculars are available to borrow. Please wear sturdy footwear and sun protection and carry ample water for yourself.

MEETING LOCATION: Preserve Visitor Center

Limit 10 participants. To register, please call the Preserve Visitor Center at 602-506-2930 ext. 9 with your name, phone number, and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call the Preserve Visitor Center ASAP so we may contact those on the waiting list. Registration for this program will close on Thursday, 3/14/24.

Did you know that Wickenburg is situated along a major migration route for vultures and hawks? Witness the amazing spectacle of hundreds of migrating turkey vultures flying in to roost in the tallest trees by the Hassayampa River Walk pedestrian bridge during “All Vultures Eve”!

This free, family-friendly event will have informational tables and optics available to borrow to get a closer look at the vultures and raptors. Wild at Heart raptor rehabilitation center will even have their education vulture, “Mojo”, and some other raptor friends to see up close! Other organizations that will be present include Town of Wickenburg, Maricopa County Parks, Arizona Game & Fish Department, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Wickenburg Conservation Foundation, Friends of Hassayampa, Sonoran Audubon, and Maricopa County Master Naturalists. 

Besides this event, you can also see this migration spectacle daily from mid-March through early April! The best time to watch is in the late afternoon until just past sunset, although you can also catch vultures sunning themselves atop the trees each morning before riding the thermals at mid-late morning as they continue their journeys northward. Several species of hawks and raptors migrate along the river too.

MEETING LOCATION: The Wickenburg pedestrian bridge is next to the Hwy. 60 bridge over the Hassayampa River at 333 E. Wickenburg Way.

Access on foot from west side of bridge at the intersection of E. Wickenburg Way and Kerkes St. Public parking is available in adjacent downtown Wickenburg within easy walking distance of the bridge, including at the Kerkes St. Trailhead at the south end of that street. For more information, please call 928-668-0552.

No registration required. This is a FREE, family-friendly event!

Come celebrate St. Patrick's Day in true Wickenburg fashion!

Admission is free and open to the public. Food trucks, vendors, games and prizes, raffles, bouncy house, and a costume contest! Dress as green and crazy as you can!

Join Ranger Eric for a guided bird walk to look and listen for resident and migrant species within the diverse desert riparian habitat of the Hassayampa River Preserve. Along the way we will discuss how to identify birds by sight and sound, and about the behavioral and ecological traits that make them unique. Some binoculars are available to borrow. Please wear sturdy footwear and sun protection and carry ample water for yourself.

MEETING LOCATION: Preserve Visitor Center

Limit 10 participants. To register, please call the Preserve Visitor Center at 602-506-2930 ext. 9 with your name, phone number, and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call the Preserve Visitor Center ASAP so we may contact those on the waiting list. Registration for this program will close on Sunday, 3/17/24.

You will learn to identify and monitor butterflies by regional experts and/or Maricopa County Parks Interpretive Ranger

You can sign up for one monitoring event only, as they are all occurring on the same date and time. 

 Have you ever seen a butterfly flitting around and wish you could identify it? Well, then, this workshop and monitoring event is for you! Our experts will teach you all about butterfly identification, key identification characteristics, flight patterns, and plant species that each butterfly species prefers. All while contributing to our butterfly citizen science program. The data you collect is then shared with the regional and national experts, helping to contribute to science, regionally and nationally, so that there is a better understanding of butterfly populations and trends.

Hassayampa River Preserve (meet at Nature Center parking lot.  This Monitoring event includes 1.3 miles (easy level) of River Ramble-Lions and Palm Lake Trails.

To register, please click on the link https://signup.com/go/jKDSUjr

Wildlife seen on past walks have included bats, ringtails, foxes, skunks, javelinas, deer, owls, scorpions, insects, and other cool creepy crawlies! Please bring your own flashlights and blacklights if you have them, but some will be available to borrow. Please carry your own water. Trails are rated as easy and are mostly flat, but there may be some uneven or sandy surfaces. We will hike about 1-1.5 miles.

MEETING LOCATION: Preserve Visitor Center

Limit 10 participants. To register, please call the Preserve Visitor Center at 602-506-2930 ext. 9 with your name, phone number, and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call the Preserve Visitor Center ASAP so we may contact those on the waiting list. This program is all ages but might not be suitable for toddlers or young children due to their perception of the darkness and hiking length. Registration for this program will close at noon on the day of the program, Saturday, 3/23/24.

The hike will be roughly 2 miles and include sections of River Ramble and Lykes Lookout Trails taking you from riparian habitat and transitioning you to Sonoran Desert environments and stunning views of the river. The trail goes from sandy flat trail to steep rocky trail and is rated as moderate. A bottle of water and sturdy shoes are all you will need for this hike. If balance is an issue for you a walking stick or trekking poles can give you more stability. Please no pets.

MEETING LOCATION: Preserve Visitor Center Limit 20 participants.

To register, please call Hassayampa River Preserve at 602-506-2930 ext.9 with your name, phone number and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call back ASAP so those on the waiting list may be contacted. Registration for this program will close on 3/27/24.

• Bring your business cards
• Drop a card into the designated raffle box when you arrive
• Stick around until we draw the lucky winner during the luncheon!

You will get to hike Palm lake, river ramble, mesquite meander and Lykes Lookout as we work our way through the park. The hike will take several hours with a short break in the middle. The trails with exception to Lykes lookout are all rated as easy and are well graded. Expect sandy trails and a few steps. If you have trouble with steep rocky trail you will be able to leave before the Lykes Lookout section. Please make sure to have a bottle of water and are wearing proper shoes and clothing. Please no pets.

MEETING LOCATION: Preserve Visitor Center Limit 20 participants.

To register, please call Hassayampa River preserve at 602-506-2930 ext.9 with your name, phone number and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call back ASAP so those on the waiting list may be contacted. Registration for this program will close on 3/29/24.