Ocotillo Ridge Preserve

The Ocotillo Ridge Preserve protects a portion of Grapevine Wash, a tributary of Cave Creek, as it passes through a deep canyon in Carefree and Cave Creek. The floor of the canyon is made of sand and gravel deposits eroded from the granite and schist rock formations to the east. Grapevine Wash nurtures a large number of mature mesquite and palo verde trees. It serves as an important travel corridor for the large mammals in the area such as deer, javelina, coyote, and bobcat, signs of them passing through are frequently seen here.

The 25-acre conservation easement was a gift from the Harvard Investment Group and is an example of how partnerships between individual landowners, municipal governments and land trusts benefit land preservation.