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Red Rock State Park is named after the red rock that can be seen rising from the landscape.
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Jack Frye, the man who purchased the portion of Smoke Trail Ranch for private use, was the president of Trans World Airlines at the time. He passed away in 1959.
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In the 1970s Helen Frye transferred the property to a religious group, and in 1980 the governor of Arizona Bruce Babbit was told he was trespassing on private property when he hiked onto the land.
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Bruce Babbit created a land exchange to secure the land for a state park, as he felt it was important to have public access to the waterways.
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Red Rock State Park had a movie theater for educational purposes, a Junior Ranger program, and five miles of trails for visitors to explore.
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From inside Red Rock State Park visitors can access land owned by the U.S. Forest Service, which has horseback riding trails and mountain biking trails.
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Trees that can be found in Red Rock State Park include Arizona sycamores, velvet ash, Fremont cottonwoods, Arizona alders, netleaf hackberry, Utah junipers, alligator junipers, and velvet mesquites.
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Large mammals that can be found living in Red Rock State Park include mule deer, coyotes, cougars, river otters, and collard peccaries.
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The Lower Oak Creek region is an important bird area. Birds that can be found in Red Rock State Park include common mergansers, wood ducks, and common black hawks, among others.
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Several species have been introduced to red Rock State Park including tumbleweed, Johnson grass, giant reed, and tamarisk.
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Red Rock State Park's Oak Creek is the habitat to the threatened Sonora mud turtle, and several species of rare fish, as well as a variety of frog species.
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In order to protect the environment of red Rock State Park there are several restrictions that visitors must obey. These include no wading or swimming, no pets, and no hiking off the trails. The park is day use only.
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There is a wide flood plain in Red Rock State Park that can flood during heavy rains.
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Red Rock State Park is often graced with the migration path of the Monarch butterflies each year.
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Visitors to red Rock State Park can participate in guided nature walks, guided bird walks, lectures, the full moon hike, and can choose to go on self-guided hikes as well.
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