Areas along the Sonoqui Wash Trail, including access points and the wash bottom, will be restricted this week, Jan. 24-29, for trail improvements. Impacted areas will be east of Hawes Road, according to the Queen Creek Parks and Recreation Department.
The Sonoqui Wash Trail is currently 3.8 miles and weaves in and out of the rural desert landscape. Public parking is available at Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre. Through a partnership with Maricopa County, the Town of Queen Creek opened 1.3 miles of new trails at Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre, 20646 E. Riggs Road. The Sonoqui Wash Trail connects from Gilbert and is part of the Maricopa Trail, developed by Maricopa County. This regional trail system is being developed in three phases. When completed, the entire trail system will cover an estimated 750 miles. Phase II of the Maricopa Trail plan, adopted in October 2003, encompasses the southeast Valley and the connection to the San Tan Mountain Regional Park through the Sonoqui Wash.
Birding was done on the Sonoqui Wash Trail and at Desert Mountain Park by the Arizona Field Ornithologists from December 2019 through December 2020. Every month had at least 20 species documented at eBird.org, the global bird database administered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The cumulative species total for Sonoqui Wash is 70, and for Queen Creek Wash is 65.
