Rinconada Canyon Stop 12

The view from Stop 12 on the Rinconada Canyon Trail.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Amenities

3 listed

Audio Description, Cellular Signal, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Audio Tour Stop #12: Arroyos and native flora 

(1.47 miles / 2.36 km – on return trail) 

You are approximately 2/3 of a mile or 1.1 kilometers from the end of the trail. At the last stop, we learned about some of the animals that call Petroglyph home. As you walk, you will see many of the unique plants that thrive in this environment. One of the most common sightings here is the prickly pear cactus, identified by its’ flat pads and dark-purple pear-like fruit. The pads and fruits of these cacti supplemented the diet of the Ancestral Puebloans. Today, the sweet fruits – called “tunas” - are boiled and used in jams, candies, and syrups.  

Other common native vegetation throughout Rinconada Canyon includes sumac, sand sage, four-wing saltbush, rabbitbrush, purple aster, broom dalea, globemallow, soapweed yucca, snakeweed, and juniper. Each of these species have developed adaptations in order to survive and reproduce in this dry climate. For example, the sumac is commonly found growing in arroyos where its deep tap roots have access to moist soil.  

Arroyos can be found throughout the southwest and can be mistaken as trails. They resemble riverbeds that are dry most of the year. Only during heavy rainstorms do arroyos flood with water and channel it along a certain route, usually bringing much needed moisture to plants along the way. The arroyos at Rinconada Canyon channel stormwater runoff from the escarpment east towards the Rio Grande River. Continue to the next stop to learn more about the Rio Grande Valley.