Cave Creek Recreation Area is located 1.5 miles north of Carefree Highway on 32nd Street. Go John Mountain, the central landmark just south of 2,922-acre Cave Creek Recreation Area, stands guard over an area of shattered dreams. It was a silent spectator to successive waves of speculators and settlers who hoped to make their fortunes either from mining the hills to the north and east or by irrigating the level plains to the south and west. There was neither enough metal in the hills to make mining profitable nor enough water coming down Cave Creek to make irrigation feasible.

The desert landscape within Cave Creek Recreation Area is beautiful and quite fragile. All visitors have a responsibility to care for the park. Please have respect for the land and other visitors, and help preserve the park for the future.

• Climb Go John Mountain keeping your eyes peeled for Saguaro cacti, agaves, and roadrunners.
• Equestrians! Ride to your hearts content along any of the 11 miles of trails.