— If you ever have a chance to visit any of the Nature Conservancy preserves, jump at the opportunity. Most of the time those preserves have a few days when they are open to the public, and two or three times a year, they may also have open weekends that allow visitors more time to explore (e.g., camping). The shot above was made at the Madera Canyon trail in the Davis Mountains Preserve. This preserve is a unique sky island with plants and animals only found in that area. The trail is not strenuous and is only 2.8 miles (4.5 km) in length with an elevation of 262 ft (79.85 m), shortly after you cross the Madera Creek. One nice feature about this trail is that it is open year around. So, you don’t have to wait for open days/weekends. While hiking, you will be able to see juniper, oak, and pinyon woodlands, and you’ll also get a nice view of Mount Livermore (8,378 ft / 2,553 m).
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