Vulture Mountains Recreation Area

During the FY16 budget process, Maricopa County’s general fund was taxed with a number of mandated public safety and court related requests, in addition to a $14 million budget shift from the State, which left limited funding available to the various other county departments.

This is certainly a set-back to moving forward with Vulture Mountains Recreation Area. However, Maricopa County's Parks and Recreation Department will continue to proceed slowly toward the development of a new park for future generations of county residents, while continuing to provide recreation opportunities for residents and resource protection in our current system of parks.

In the meantime, the department will proceed with the following efforts:

• Work with the Bureau of Land Management and Maricopa County Department of Transportation to refine the roadway design for the day-use, camping and off-highway vehicle areas.
• Complete an Environmental Assessment required by BLM prior to leasing land for recreation facilities in the Vulture Mountains.
• Develop the Hassayampa River Preserve’s new master plan, trails and business plans in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy.