Cholla Forest

Close your eyes, and you might be able to visualize the citrus trees that once occupied the quarter now covered by the Cholla Forest. Also known as chain fruit cholla or jumping cholla, a jumping cholla doesn’t really jump. Its stems are loosely attached to the plant and are also densely covered with viciously barbed spines. Barely brushing against the plant can detach a whole section, making YOU jump! However, pack rats find the detached stems perfect building blocks for their dens. This is a great bird-watching area. Keep an eye out for curve-billed thrashers and cactus wrens, which prefer cholla for their nest sites. This dense forest is best viewed throughout the year because its look changes with the seasons.

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