Day Trip from Puerto Penasco–El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve

[DeniseAck]

Day Trip from Puerto Penasco–El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve

Posted on July 26, 2012

On our way back to the Phoenix airport from Puerto Penasco, we visited the Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. It is only about 30 minutes from town right off the main highway.
The Pinacate Reserve is a volcanic field of almost 800 square miles and is one of the largest landforms visible from space in North America. The land is very similar to the moon’s surface and NASA sent astronauts to train there from 1965 to 1970.
After stopping at the visitor center and paying a nominal fee (about $5 each), we took our 2 wheel drive car around the 2½ hour self-paced driving tour to see the volcanic peaks, cinder cones, and Maar craters. A Maar crater looks like a meteor crash site, but it’s formed when an eruption of lava hits the layer of groundwater causing an explosion and collapse of the top crust.


Satellite View



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[brokenwave]

Denise,
From the pic's (and they are nice) you must have been there in spring. I toured it in late May a few years back, it was 98 degrees where
the visitor center is and when we got to the crater I was shocked to see my outside air thermometer was reading 120.
I bet in July it would be 130+ degrees.
It was amazing how all the black lava rock could heat the area that much.
I just loved the stark contrast between what was still blooming and all the black rock/lava fields in there.

 

[MIRAMAR]

I bet at 130 + degrees the black lava was still flowing or molten.

 

[Cabo]

Denise; Great work on the Blog... nice you will add Rocky Point and its color to everyone.!

brokenwave; that is an interesting observation, the white sand dunes reflect sun rays and the black lava absorb it. Ambient temps 20plus difference within 100yards must be a world record. Sea tides 20plus and temp swings 20plus make this area UNIQUE!!!! I love the Ocotillo, reminds me of sticks on Fire.

 

[aprilsuzanne55]

beautiful photos!
we always are tempted to visit the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve on our annual trip to PP in August, but I think it would probably be too hot...

 

[DeniseAck]

Thanks, guys! We were there on May 5th. Our rental car didn't have a thermometer, so I can't say for sure how hot it was. It definitely was hot, but dry and windy. Compared to New York humidity, it was lovely. We didn't feel uncomfortable at all.