The Nature Center at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa, Arizona is the best experience for families the want to learn about the Sonoran Desert when visiting the Southwest. Before exploring the park's miles and miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding offered here, guests can visit the Nature Center where park rangers are on hand to share insights into the wonders of the Sonoran Desert. Year-long unique programming is offered daily including stargazing sessions, fitness hikes and scorpion hunts, to toddler cruises and even yoga in the desert! Visitors can purchase snacks and cold beverages, souvenirs and outdoor necessities like sunscreen, hats and water bottles. The building itself adopted many of the principles set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council and is a fully functional, sustainable and energy efficient visitor's center while minimizing the disturbance to the natural landscape and surroundings. Unique features of the Nature Center at Usery Mountain include:

• A desert loop trail that extends from the visitor center's back patio – a site for numerous educational outreach programs.
• An outdoor amphitheater for scheduled lectures and programming.
• A garden rooftop with 12 solar panels and native plant species that helps with insulation, retains rainwater, and reduces storm water runoff on the site.

Examples of family programming includes:

• Movie Night in the Park
• Nighttime Archery 101
• All About Scorpions Lecture & Scorpion Hunt
• All About Wild Horses Lecture & Night Safari
• Meet Terry the Tarantula, Elvis the Kingsnake and Shakira the Rattlesnake
• For Kids:  These Rocks Rock!
• Introduction to Citizen Science
• Kid's Storytime Fun time
• All About Jaguars
• For Kids: Indoor Animal Games
• For Kids: Amazing Desert Animals

Visitors to Mesa, Arizona can experience the natural beauty of Usery Mountain and Lost Dutchman State Park at night. Both parks offer ranger-guided full moon hikes where visitors can experience the sights and sounds of the Sonoran Desert under the light of the moon. The parks are also presenting stargazing nights where visitors can learn about the solar system from experts.

Mesa's oldest attraction is Mesa Grande Cultural Park – 700 years old as a matter of fact! Open to the public, this ancient Hohokam mound has been under the care of the City of Mesa for more than 30 years. Visitors are able to walk the interpretive trail from October to May. The archaeological staff of the Arizona Museum of Natural History have helped preserve and develop the site, which is estimated to date to A.D 1100-1450. The Hohokam built a civilization that lasted 1,500 years in the Salt River Valley. Mesa Grande is one of only two remaining Hohokam mounds in the metro Phoenix area. The ruins temple mound is larger than a football field in both length and width and is 27 feet tall at its highest point. Today, the site remains intact with very few excavations that have impacted its integrity. Mesa Grande is on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated an official Arizona Centennial Legacy Project.

For more information on 2018-2019 new experiences, activities and things to do, stop by the Visit Mesa Booth #1916 or download the all-new Visit Mesa Adventure Explorer guide online at www.VisitMesa.com.