One of Arizona’s most breathtaking flowerscapes of all appears poised for peak color about 25 minutes due east of the city of Globe, where the San Carlos Apaches’ famous hillsides and slopes of Mexican goldpoppies carpet Peridot Mesa every few years when conditions are just right. Visitors on Sunday shared these pictures, and predict peak color should be March 11-12 or later.
For non-tribal members, this is important and marks a change if you haven’t visited Peridot Mesa since the last superbloom a few years back. Daily $10 tribal recreation permits are required, and there’s only one place you can buy yours – the San Carlos Apache Recreation and Wildlife Department office, just off Highway 70 another five minutes’ drive past the Peridot Mesa turnoff. Tribal recreation permits cover a single adult or a married couple with children under 18. Permits are no longer available at convenience stores in Globe, so pay extra heed to this essential know-before-you-go Pro Tip. Recreation and Wildlife hours are weekdays and Saturdays, and Sunday mornings from 8 a.m. until noon. For more information, call Recreation and Wildlife Department staff at (928) 475-2343.
How to find Peridot Mesa? From the city of Globe, take Highway 70 east; you’ll see the Apache Gold Casino Resort, airstrip and wood yard. Then watch the mile markers for milepost #268; about a quarter-mile east of that milepost, turn left onto the dirt road that leads you up and over Peridot Mesa. The road onto the mesa is unmarked. Look for a guardrail at the left-hand turnoff, a wide parking area just inside and a sign with the friendly reminder that a tribal recreation permit is required by law. First, drive past milepost #268 and buy your recreation permit. The Recreation and Wildlife Department is another few miles past the mesa; it’s also a left turn off Highway 70. Watch for Noline’s gas station and store; the Rec & Wildlife office is just east of Noline’s.
Want to see Peridot Mesa highlights from past years? You can view photos, drone video and more at https://www.discovergilacounty.com/peridot-mesa.
