Striking Gold

Sonoran Desert National Monument was created in 2001 and is located south of Goodyear and Buckeye and east of Gila Bend, Arizona. It is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System. The monument, which is not well developed, features three distinct areas: The North Maricopa Mountains, South Maricopa Mountains and the Table Top Wildernesses. This image was captured in the North Maricopa Mountains during an 8-mile round trip spring hike. This was the most scenic section of the desert with abundant wildflowers (yellow poppies) and large saguaros. Photo © copyright by Michael Greene.