The Go John Canyon Preserve

Currently the Desert Foothills Land Trust owns 271-acres of the 500-acres conservation land available in the Go John Canyon area. The land was purchased from the Arizona State Land Department in a period of three years (2000 -2003) with four matching Growing Smarter grants from the Arizona State Parks Department. The other 50% was acquired as gifts form the Pulliam Charitable Trust, the Marshall Foundation, Desert Foothills Land Trust members and the Desert Foothills community. 

Go John Canyon includes the sensitive riparian habitat of Cave Creek Wash and provides critical habitat for a multitude of desert wildlife. The adjacent Cave Creek Regional Park has no other access to water and the preservation of this parcel is critical to the continued existence of wildlife in our area.

The vegetation is quite varied. Much of the slopes to the east and west of the creek host Arizona Upland vegetation, characterized by foothills palo verde, saguaro, and several cholla species. There are areas of mesquite bosque (woodland in Spanish) along both sides of the creek and to the south is found the most varied local vegetation type - a blue palo verde forest. 

There are several historically significant sites on the Go John Canyon Preserve. The prehistoric archaeological sites appear to be associated with a very large village on the west bank of Cave Creek that connects with the prehistoric Hohokam village on Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. In more recent times, a portion of the property was the site of the original Town of Cave Creek. A section of the Old Stage Trail, which ran between Prescott and Phoenix in the late1800's, runs for about one mile through the preserve, as well as the old historic cemetery.

Public permanent trails are available to the community. The Desert Foothills Land Trust will continue to work to protect the rest of Go John Canyon with the support of the community.