Hassayampa River Preserve

Hassayampa River Preserve
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
Palm Lake at Hassayampa River Preserve
Location	Hassayampa, Arizona central Maricopa County
Nearest city	Wickenburg, Arizona
Coordinates	33°56′15″N 112°41′58″W / 33.93750°N 112.69944°W / 33.93750; -112.69944Coordinates: 33°56′15″N 112°41′58″W / 33.93750°N 112.69944°W / 33.93750; -112.69944
Area	770 acres (3.1 km2)
Established	1987
Governing body	The Nature Conservancy

The Hassayampa River Preserve is a 770 acre riparian nature reserve owned by the The Nature Conservancy in the US state of Arizona, near Wickenburg in Maricopa County. The Hassayampa River has mostly subterranean flows for most of its 113 miles (182 km) length, the stretch contained within the Preserve has year-round flowing water.

The first use of the land after the arrival of European settlers was as a stagecoach stop in the 1860s. In the latter part of the 19th century it served as a farm and cattle ranch, Brill's Ranch, run by Frederick Brill. Brill provided farm products, beef, fruit, and pond-raised carp to local settlers and miners, including those at the nearby Vulture mine.

In 1913 the property was reopened as one of the first guest ranches in Arizona. Named the Garden of Allah due to the location's resemblance to the locale in a popular romantic novel of the time with that title. Its visitors were offered a true experience of a Western ranch. During this time, the palm trees were hauled in from nearby Castle Hot Springs on wagons. Over the years it saw several other uses such as a campground.

In 1986, The Nature Conservancy became interested in the location, and they created the preserve in 1987, initially with the purchase of a 660 acre parcel. The preserve has grown to 770 acres, and in April 2016 an agreement was reached between The Nature Conservancy and Maricopa County to integrate the preserve into the Vulture Mountains Recreation Area, a 71,000-acre recreation area located west and south of the preserve.

The Preserve is located in the Sonoran Desert, which contain one of the most rare and threatened types of riparian environments, cottonwood-willow forests. During the last 100 years, it has been estimated that over 90% of these environments have been either lost or damaged. These environments are particularly important to many forms of wildlife, and it is estimated that at least 80% of Arizona's wildlife depend on these riparian environments. Because of the year-round water and lush vegetation, the Preserve is considered to be an oasis in the Sonoran Desert, and is home to approximately 300 different bird species, as well as numerous other wildlife.