Jewel of the Creek Preserve
26 acres
Open to the public from dawn to dusk
Trails are open for hiking only
This magnificent 26 acre parcel is DFLT’s most popular preserve, and it isn’t hard to see why. The Jewel of the Creek is a desert oasis filled with towering cottonwood and willow trees along Cave Creek, at the northern edge of the Town of Cave Creek and bordering the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. This property holds one of the last remaining perennial streams in Maricopa County. The unusual year-round presence of water supports a myriad of plant and animal species.
DFLT had been searching for ways to acquire and permanently protect this sensitive and endangered property for several years. In 1997 the Land Trust received conservation designation for the “Jewel of the Creek” and purchased it from the Arizona State Land Department in 2001. DFLT was one of the first land conservation organizations in the state to purchase property under the Arizona Preserve Initiative.
Among the first in the state, DFLT obtained funds under the Arizona State Parks Growing Smarter Land Acquisition grant program. Due to the generosity of the Charlotte Y. Martin Foundation and the surrounding foothills community, DFLT raised nearly $450,000 to match the Growing Smarter grant and preserve this amazing gem.
