PHOENIX (AP) - A ranch bought by the state nearly a decade ago is being turned into a state park that will include campsites and recreational opportunities along the scenic Verde River in north-central Arizona.
The recently approved Arizona budget includes $4 million to turn the Rockin' River Ranch in Camp Verde into a state park, marking a dramatic turnaround from the Great Recession when the parks system struggled to keep existing locations open.
Park officials in 2008 used $7 million from a conservation fund to buy the location, considered an environmental pearl because of its location along the free-flowing Verde.
It has largely sat dormant since then because for years the park system had no money to develop the property.
That's changed now that park revenue is feeding the system's growth.
