Southern Arizona park to receive $4M upgrade to stay open overnight
May 10, 2018, 5:43 PM
(Facebook/Oracle State Park)
(Facebook/Oracle State Park)
PHOENIX — Oracle State Park will officially undergo a $4 million renovation that would allow the park to stay open overnight and help keep it economically sustainable.
The budget allocation approved last week by Gov. Doug Ducey will add rental cabins, recreational vehicle sites, tent sites and new trails to the park, which is currently open only for day use.
The upgrades to the 4,000-acre park near the community of Oracle were expected to increase the park’s annual revenue by $1.2 million, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
The state park, which is located north of Tucson, now operates at a net annual deficit of $286,000, according to budget documents.
Arizona State Parks and Trails officials said they will form a technical advisory committee to plan the work and guide the process.
The upgrades were first reported by the publication in February.
“The expansion would add 30 RV sites, 20 cabins and 20 tent sites,” Patrick Ptak, spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey’s office, told the Arizona Daily Star at the time.
“Now, it’s not just open, but we are making it 24 hours and adding new amenities,” Ptak said. “That’s a testament to the incredible work being done by Arizona State Parks and Trails employees to make our park system the best in the nation.”
Oracle offers visitors more than 15 miles of hiking trails with a variety of hiking types, including a four-mile section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail that passes through the park. It also offers multiple equestrian and biking trails.
Editor’s note: This story was originally posted on Feb. 13, 2018, and has since been updated with information about the $4 million makeover.
KTAR News 92.3 FM intern Joe Gilmore and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
