Publicizing the Scenic Drive and its History

This Web site is one of the ways that we use to publicize the Scenic Drive. We also employ letters, articles, press releases, meetings, pamphlets, whatever we think will help. Below is one of our first attempts to publicize the Scenic Drive.  It was a handout for the restoration celebration.

Introducing the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive

 10/7/1995

Scottsdale’s northern gateway, The Desert Foothills Drive, is a source of civic pride. The Drive, a thirty-two year-old brainchild of local residents, offers a convenient way for visitors to see and identify a variety of desert plants. On both sides of the Drive small redwood signs with white letters identify the types of plants commonly found in the Sonoran foothills. In addition, residents have identified plants at the Natural Desert Visitors Area, a popular stopping place for tour busses headed for Sedona and the Grand Canyon.

Some visitors, who might initially perceive the desert as "barren", are surprised to learn that more than twenty plant species are identified on each side of the road. Each species has its own story and ecological niche.

You will find Arizona’s state tree, the palo verde which was so named by the Spanish because it looked like a "green stick". Actually, when in blossom in the springtime, these trees appear as masses of pale yellow and are a beautiful sight. You will also find the signature plant of the Sonoran Desert - the saguaro (pronounced sah-WAR-o) which is pollinated by bats and can gain hundreds and even thousands of pounds when it rains -- fortunately, they are on a diet most of the year. If you look closely, you might see holes in the side of a Saguaro, some of which are nesting spots for our state bird, the Cactus Wren. The Saguaro is the state flower and is believed to have a life span of up to two hundred years. The ocotillo (Spanish for "coachman’s whip") is one of the queerest and spectacular of desert plants. In some parts of Mexico, stems are used by natives in building huts. They are sometimes cut and, when planted close together in rows form living fences and corrals. Their clusters of bright red blossoms are a favorite of hummingbirds. The mesquite (mess-KEET) which seems to be mentioned in most John Wayne movies is one of the most widespread of desert trees. During pioneer days, mesquite wood was of critical importance to settlers as fuel and in making furniture and utensils. The creosotebush is the most successful, widespread, and readily recognized desert plant of the arid regions of North America. After a rain, these plants give off a musty, resinous odor which is the basis of the Mexican name "hediondilla" (freely translated, "little stinker"). Resin from this bush was used by southwestern Native Americans to mend pottery and produce mosaics. Catclaw is a plant that your pet feline will only climb once. It is one of the most disliked shrubs in the Southwest, especially by riders and hikers, because of the strong thorns which tear both clothing and the clothing’s inhabitant. Seeds of the catclaw were widely used as food by the Indians of Arizona and Mexican tribes. You will find these plants identified along the Drive. Here are some other types to watch for:

Originated by residents in 1963, the Drive was an expression of their respect for the fragile beauty of the Sonoran foothills. Back then, Cave Creek Road was a narrow, lonely two lane road through mesquite and palo verde thickets. Scottsdale Road had just been paved to the new town of Carefree. There weren’t more than a half-dozen homes south of Black Mountain. Far-sighted residents felt that it was imperative that the fragile beauty around them be preserved for future generations. They created the Drive on Scottsdale and Cave Creek Roads to preserve natural desert vegetation and thus produce pleasant non-commercial corridors. Over the years, the signs and plant sites have been maintained by volunteer "Plant Parents" including local Boy Scout troops and school children.

Today, the Drive’s tradition of preservation through civic involvement is stronger than ever. The City of Scottsdale has designated that portion of the scenic Drive located on Scottsdale Road as a "Scenic Corridor". Residents, with the backing of the City of Scottsdale’s Keep America Beautiful Program and the assistance of local businesses, have restored the Drive based on the 1963 plan, and enhanced the original sign at the Natural Desert Visitors Area. These residents, many of whom live in new subdivisions along Scottsdale Road, plan to further enhance the Drive by adding an exhibit and ramada.

The Natural Desert Visitors Area is located on the east side of Scottsdale Road approximately 1 3/4 miles past Rawhide and 1/4 mile south of Jomax Road. The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive continues north on Scottsdale Road for five miles to Carefree Highway.