Our activities in the past 12 months included:

• Development of a Virtual geology tour

• Six star parties totaling over 800 attendees

• Improved trail safety

• Guided hikes bringing in 1,200 visitors

• The Oracle Oaks Festival and Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival.

Kannally Ranch House renovation. an ADA-compliant walkway from the parking lot to the patio and Group Use Area improvements were just aome of the many accomplishments of fiscal year 2025 - 2026. Read on to learn more!

In the last year, we have reached a total of 1959 students through education programs! How exciting!!

• We had 6 on-site field trips with a total of 225 students;

• I delivered 6 off-site/in-classroom programs to a total of 208 students;

• The park was at 4 youth education outreach events reaching 1526 people!

The annual Music on the Trail event at Oracle State Park, held on April 18th, proved to be an outstanding success, drawing visitors from across the region for a unique blend of live music and scenic outdoor adventure.

On April 18, 2026, Oracle State Park will host its highly anticipated "Music on the Trail" event, inviting visitors to experience an enchanting blend of nature and live music. This unique celebration offers attendees a chance to enjoy performances by local musicians set amidst the scenic beauty of the park's winding trails and desert landscapes.

Our December 2025 post discusses:

• Planets Saturn and Jupiter

• Protecting our night Sky charm

• Star Parties at the Park

• Includes links to all past Oracle Night Sky Charm articles

The Village of Oracle is situated atop bedrock outcrops more than a billion years old. At one point in time, an inland sea rose, covering large swaths of equatorial North America, including Oracle and giving rise to marine life. Read this post to learn more!

Our November 2025 post discusses:

• Our November star party

• Comet Lemmon

• Aurora Borealis!

• Protecting our night Sky charm

Our October 2025 post discusses:

• Star parties at Oracle State Park;

• A comet discovered earlier this year at Mount Lemmon Observatory.

Fall is a magical time to visit Oracle State Park, and this season brings so many reasons to explore.

Recent EE activities include:

• Advertising to local school districts;

• Scheduling spring field trips;

• Preparing in-classroom lessons;

• Working with volunteers to broaden program content.

Our September 2025 post discusses:

• Andromeda & the Milky Way

• Visible planets

Our August 2025 post discusses:

• The Milky Way

• Visible planets

• The Moon

Our July 2025 post discusses:

• How to see the Milky Way

• Visible planets

After many years of dedicated service, our Ranger Leonard Garcia is retiring.

Leonard has been the behind-the-scenes hero of our park — fixing what’s broken, keeping everything running smoothly, and showing up day after day with quiet dedication and pride in his work. He never asked for recognition, but his fingerprints are on just about everything around here.

Our June 2025 post discusses:

• Wildfires, climate change and the night sky

• Visible planets

• The “Summer Milky Way”

In Spring 2025:

• We celebrated Dark Sky Week at the Park.

• Jupiter’s moons, discovered by Galileo, are visible.

• You can see the Milky Way!

In April/May 2025:

• You are encouraged to review your outdoor lighting during Dark Sky Week.

• Park representatives participated in Tucson and Fountain Hills festivals.

• There’s a Star Party at Oracle State Park on Saturday April 26th. We’ll also celebrate Dark Sky Week 2025.

In February/March:

• we had a follow-op program on wildlife cameras at Mountain Vista;

• we had sessions of the park’s Adventure & Odyssey programs and trained volunteers.

• we tabled as Arizona State Parks and Trails at the Tucson Festival of Books March 15th&16th.

In April 2025:

• Jupiter and Mars are visible at night but Venus rises in the morning.

• You may - or may not - get to see the Blaze Star.

• There’s a Star Party at Oracle State Park on Saturday April 26th. We’ll also celebrate Dark Sky Week 2025.