North Mountain Visitor Center

North Mountain Visitor Center

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About North Mountain Visitor Center

Welcome to the North Mountain Visitor Center

Times are subject to change de-pending on the availability of our volunteers. Thank you for under-standing.

Daily:  8 A.M. to 2 P.M.

The North Mountain Visitor Center gives guests an up-close, personal tour of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve and the plants and animals that make up the beautiful area surrounding the Center.

Displays, tours, classes, and workshops are offered to help understand the Sonoran Desert found right outside the Center’s doors. Visitors to the Center gain new in-sights into the richness and diversity of this desert landscape.

A series of trails adjacent to the Center mean that desert exploration is just a hiking step away. The Center is also a good stop for those planning longer, more challenging hikes in this part of the Preserve.

North Mountain Visitor Center Outside
North Mountain Visitor Center Display

Exhibit Hall

The exhibit hall offers interpretive information on the preservation of the Phoenix Mountains, local geology, archaeology, Sonoran Desert plants and animals, and the cycle of the Arizona sun. The Center also features exhibits from affiliated agencies, and work from local artists. Admission is free.

Phoenix Mountain Preserve

North Mountain Preserve area of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve system is rich with history. There are centuries-old Hohokam petroglyphs, evidence of turn of the century campgrounds, and abandoned mines.

Shaw Butte is the tallest mountain in the Preserve with an elevation of 2,149 feet. North Mountain is a close second at 2,104 feet. Throughout the North Mountain Preserve, there are over 100 miles of hiking, biking, and horse-back riding trails.

Visitors will be able to witness the rich desert ecosystem which includes saguaro cacti, Palo Verde and mesquite trees, creosote bushes and 560 other plants. Visitors will also enjoy coyotes, javelinas, jackrabbits, rattlesnakes, chuckwallas, quail, cactus wrens, roadrunners or possibly 261 varieties of birds and 58 varieties of reptiles.

Landscape
North Mountain Visitor Center Event

Programs and Events

Coffee House Saturdays are on the third Saturday of the month featuring free coffee and music.

Be sure to check the website for upcoming programs and events at the Visitor Center. Program topics include: Wilderness First Aid, Plants and Animals of the Southwest, Geology, History of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, Hohokam Culture, Rattlesnake education demonstrations, volunteer led hikes and more.

At the Center, Visitors can:

  • Find trail maps and talk to the staff for information on hikes or mountain bike rides in the area.
  • Pick up brochures and pamphlets on a variety of topics related to the Sonoran Desert and the Mountain Preserve.
  • Take a tour through the interpretive exhibit hall.
  • Learn about upcoming outdoor programs, lectures, and events.
  • Find unique gifts including stone jewelry, field guides, educational books, paintings, Native American made items and local artists crafts.
North Mountain Visitor Center Display

Organizations that work with Save Our Mountain Foundation in the North Mountain Visitor Center collaboration include:

Located on the west side of 7th Street, just south of Thunderbird Road. Drive in past the gate

North Mountain


12950 NORTH 7TH STREET • PHOENIX, AZ 85022 
MAP (click to view) • 
Phone: 602-343-5125 • www.northmountainvisitorcenter.org

Flammulated Owl, Rare Siting in Phoenix Mountains Preserve

The Flammulated Owl gets its name from two Latin words meaning “flame colored with ears.” The Flammulated Owl is the only small owl with dark … Read More "Flammulated Owl, Rare Siting in Phoenix Mountains Preserve"

More Diamondbacks !

Today, I came across two Diamondback Rattlesnakes.  The first snake was a difficult snake to spot.  The photographs are taken at the spot I was … Read More "More Diamondbacks !"

Two Diamondbacks

Two Diamondbacks seen on different days and under different circumstances are highlighted here.  The first rattler was found in the same spot two days in … Read More "Two Diamondbacks"

Gila Woodpecker Renews Life

The photos in this slide presentation cover a period from May 3rd to May 28th, 2011.    Mostly the images portray the trials and tribulations of … Read More "Gila Woodpecker Renews Life"

Volunteer

Visitor Center

Do you love the Phoenix Mountains Preserve? If so, you can be a volunteer and we would love to have you!

North Mountain Visitor Center (NMVC), which is operated by Save Our Mountains Foundation, would not be open to the public without our dedicated volunteers. We started in January 2011 with five volunteers working on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Now, the Visitor Center is manned every day of the week, 365 days a year, by devoted volunteers who love the Mountains Preserve and are willing to donate their time to serve the public.

Hikers come into the Visitor Center mostly to ask our volunteers about the trails. Many people come to browse in the Visitor Center Gift Shoppe, which is open all the hours the Center is open and also is staffed by volunteers. Everything from water to hats and rocks to books are available for sale in the Shoppe. Visitors are amazed by the wildlife photographs taken by local photographer, Joel Pearson, whose photos highlight our website pages. Most visitors learn a thing or two from the volunteers, the wealth of information in the Reading Room, and/or the interpretative displays in the Exhibit Hall.

Hiking
Visitor Center

On weekends in cooler weather months, there is a leisurely, but steady stream of visitor traffic at NMVC. Folks come from local neighborhoods, far-off suburbs, out of town, and many other countries. Sometimes they stop in before they hike and sometimes after. The experience of volunteering can be very rewarding listening to folks as they recount their experiences in the out-of-doors. Volunteers also enjoy talking to our visitors as they host the Coffee House socials on the third Saturday of each month.

North Mountain Visitor Center

NMVC Volunteers are based at the Information Desk just inside the Visitor Center’s main entrance. We assign at least two volunteers at a time; some sign up for a 3-hour shift on a weekly basis and some sign up to volunteer when available. Opportunities to volunteer for Special Events and After-hour Events are also available. We hold two mandatory meetings for our prospective new volunteers.  The first meeting, the New Volunteer Informational Meeting, provides the history of the Preserve, the background of the Center and a tour of the Center.  The second meeting is an after-hours meeting where the specific procedures for working at the Front Desk are presented. 

Save Our Mountains Foundation would like to expand the number of hours the Visitor Center is open every day as the number of our volunteers grows. And …stay tuned as we continue expanding our program and activities that will require volunteer help.

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Cheryl and Bob Toloskiewich, NMVC Volunteer Coordinators, would like to hear from anyone interested in volunteering. Please contact them to help you explore your interests with the Center.

Volunteers must be over 18 years of age.

Sign up with a pal or a family member. It will be fun! See you at NMVC soon!

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