52 OF THE STATE’S SCENIC WONDERS

JANUARY 2018

ESCAPE • EXPLORE • EXPERIENCE

EXPLORE ARIZONA´S PUBLIC LANDS

P.S. THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND 2 EDITOR’S LETTER 16 OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 52 SCENIC DRIVE For nearly a century, Arizona Highways Agua Caliente Road: With all of the farm- 3 CONTRIBUTORS has been showcasing the scenic beauty land, stockyards and solar panels around Grand Canyon National Park of the forty-eighth state. There’s a lot of Gila Bend, it might come as a surprise 4 LETTERS Jerome ground to cover, and more than a third of that there’s a scenic drive in the area, too, Hellsgate January 2018 it is located on public lands — this land but this historic route fits the bill. Wilderness 5 THE JOURNAL is your land. It’s too much to present By Noah Austin PHOENIX People, places and things from around comprehensively, so we’ve narrowed the Photographs by Jim Marshall the state, including a restaurant in list of great outdoor places to 52 … one Gila Bend Jerome called Grapes — it’s not “another for each weekend of the year. 54 HIKE OF THE MONTH tourist trap,” the owner says; the history Edited by Robert Stieve Tucson behind Bisbee’s $2 million tunnel; and Blackett’s Ridge Trail: The payoff on this Bisbee a former cattle ranch near Tucson that hike is one of the best panoramas in the 42 ROUGH COUNTRY Santa Catalina Mountains. But getting now features luxury casitas, a nature POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE trail and the toy-like squeaks of Gila An Essay by Kelly Vaughn there takes some doing. woodpeckers. By Robert Stieve 46 ARIZONA’S TIMBERED TREASURE Photographs by Jeff Maltzman A story originally published in the June 1959 issue of Arizona Highways. 56 WHERE IS THIS? By Vivien Keatley

◗ Clouds cloak the snow-covered San Francisco Peaks, which are located northwest of Flagstaff. Ted Grussing OLYMPUS E-620, 1/1600 SEC, F/5.6, ISO 200, 14 MM LENS

FRONT COVER: Monsoon runoff flows over a slick granite cliff at sunset in Palisade Canyon, located in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness near Tucson. Joel Hazelton CANON EOS 6D, 1/5 SEC, F/8, ISO 200, 16 MM LENS GET MORE ONLINE BACK COVER: An organ pipe www.arizonahighways.com cactus reaches toward a starry sky at Organ Pipe Cactus National /azhighways Monument in Southern Arizona. Mike Sanchez @arizonahighways NIKON D750, 30 SEC, F/3.5, ISO 2500, 14 MM LENS; MULTIPLE IMAGES MERGED

2 OCTOBER 2015 www.arizonahighways.com 1 editor’s LETTER CONTRIBUTORS

BRIANNA national parks, which are home to some of Ari- COSSAVELLA JANUARY 2018 VOL. 94 NO. 1 zona’s most scenic landscapes — Grand Canyon, We can’t seem to get enough of Lake Powell, Petrified Forest, the Chiricahua 800-543-5432 Brianna Cossavella, who again worked Mountains. Because the parks get so much atten- www.arizonahighways.com with Arizona Highways this past fall tion, we shifted the focus this time to some of GIFT SHOP: 602-712-2200 after two semesters as our editorial the more obscure and less crowded public lands. intern in 2016. For this issue, she com- Places like Cedar Bench. PUBLISHER Win Holden piled information on Arizona’s national “You’re forgiven if you haven’t heard of the EDITOR Robert Stieve forests, a key component of the state’s We can all fit in a 4Runner. Cedar Bench Wilderness,” Kathy Montgomery ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, public lands (see Arizona’s Timbered DIRECTOR OF Or on a large chairlift. And when we go out to writes in Open to the Public. “Despite its central SALES & MARKETING Kelly Mero Treasure, page 46). “The majority of

lunch at the Public Market or Matt’s Big Break- location near Camp Verde, it’s one of the least- MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Vaughn my research was sifting through the forests’ websites, taking note of how fast, there’s always a table that’s big enough. visited areas in the Prescott National Forest. The ASSOCIATE EDITOR Noah Austin many hiking trails, campgrounds and We’re not a big group. Just seven. That sur- trails are not well documented, well maintained EDITORIAL prises some people, who imagine that all pub- or well marked, and most are rated as difficult.” ADMINISTRATOR Nikki Kimbel other recreational opportunities each lishing houses are staffed by dozens of ink-and-paper aficionados huddled It’s not for everyone, but if you’re willing to PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jeff Kida forest has,” she says. “The assignment

in a sterile room with bad fluorescent lighting. That’s not the case at Arizona push your heart rate into the triple digits, the CREATIVE DIRECTOR Barbara Glynn Denney gave me a better understanding of the

Highways. Although we do have bad lighting, we’re just seven people. It’s a tradeoff in Cedar Bench is unmatched solitude ART DIRECTOR Keith Whitney number of ecosystems thriving in this small editorial team, but, collectively, we have 188 years of experience. and sweeping views. There’s more of the same in state — and of how much of Arizona MAP DESIGNER Kevin Kibsey To give you some perspective on that, if you were to roll back the calendar Haigler Canyon, Gila Box and the Needle’s Eye I have yet to experience. Let’s just PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Bianchi 188 years, you’d end up in 1830. Andrew Jackson was the president then. City Wilderness. In fact, it’s the common denomina- say I have a very long to-do list now.” WEBMASTER Victoria J. Snow planners were sketching the grid for a place they’d call Chicago. And pas- tor in our cover story, which features 52 places to Before Cossavella came to Arizona Highways, she envisioned a career in the action senger rail service had just begun in the United States. The joke around the hike, bike, camp, fish, hunt or string a hammock. CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Nicole Bowman sports industry, but she says the magazine changed her outlook. “It helped me nurture office is that Jeff Kida was on that first train. He wasn’t, but our photo editor If that’s not enough, you can always point your FINANCE DIRECTOR Bob Allen my relationship with Mother Nature, and it increased my desire to learn about Native has been walking around with a camera for more than four decades. He has 4Runner to one of the forest roads in our seven OPERATIONS/ Americans and other indigenous cultures,” she says. “The more aware I became, the IT MANAGER Cindy Bormanis a lot of professional experience, and so much talent. And so do Barbara Den- national forests. more I realized our environment needs saving and that too many voices are muffled. ney, Nikki Kimbel, Kelly Vaughn, Keith Whitney and Noah Austin. They’re In all, the forests add up to 12 million acres. That’s where I need to pour my energy.” Cossavella also has been writing copy for Mari- CORPORATE OR the talented aficionados who create this magazine every month. That’s plenty of room to explore and find solitude. TRADE SALES 602-712-2018 copa Community Colleges and is working on a documentary about Oak Flat.

You may have seen their names on the masthead, or in bylines over the Or, as an official for the U.S. Forest Service wrote SPONSORSHIP SALES years, but I’m adding them to Page 2 this month because I’d like them to in our October 1946 issue, there’s enough room REPRESENTATION On Media Publications Todd Bresnahan stand up and take a bow. Their work is unsurpassed. Superb. Second to “for every Arizonan to be an emperor whenever 602-445-7169 none. And it’s not just the magazine. They also produce an assembly line the mood seizes him. He can roam at will over of acclaimed books, calendars and digital content, along with a long list of this vast, rich, green empire. This is Everyman’s LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [email protected] related products, including posters, postcards, puzzles and coffee mugs. Empire.” 2039 W. Lewis Avenue Their first love, however, is this magazine, which in one night last fall won Vivien Keatley used less hyperbole in June Phoenix, AZ 85009 21 international magazine awards, including 10 golds and five silvers. Those 1959, but her point was the same. “There’s some- STEVEN MECKLER awards are because of Barb and Jeff, Kelly and Keith, Nikki and Noah. thing for everyone in the forests,” she wrote in GOVERNOR Douglas A. Ducey Photographer Steven Meckler is a rela- Among the honors were gold medals for Photographer of the Year and Arizona’s Timbered Treasure. “Once the individual DIRECTOR, tive newcomer to Arizona Highways — his DEPARTMENT Writer of the Year. Adam Schallau and Matt Jaffe won those. Another gold learns to develop the appreciation, aptitudes and OF TRANSPORTATION John S. Halikowski first assignment for us was the Eldorado went to Annette McGivney for her story about the water pipeline that runs woodsman’s skills necessary in the wilderness, Suites Hotel, which we featured in The

from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to the South Rim. “An amazing, he becomes refreshed, renewed, restored. But Arizona Highways® (ISSN 0004-1521) is published month- Journal in January 2014. “I was so anxious beautiful story, rich in detail and narrative,” the judges wrote about Across whether your vacation means ‘re-creation’ or just ly by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Subscrip- that I got there the night before, set up tion price: $24 a year in the U.S., $44 outside the U.S. before sunrise and shot all day, including the Great Divide. “The author forgets nothing in her story, recounting the having fun, some place in Arizona’s national for- Single copy: $4.99 U.S. Call 800-543-5432. Subscription unimaginable difficulties encountered in first constructing the pipeline, ests can provide it.” cor­respon­dence and change of address information: Ari- sunset,” he says. “The photo that was the heartbreak of its early washout and the perils of failing to upgrade ... This month, we’re resurrecting her story, zona Highways, P.O. Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. used is the absolute first thing I shot in the morning.” He was a little less nervous for Periodical postage paid at Phoenix, AZ, and at additional it’s all here.” which is illustrated with some great old photo- mailing office.CANADA POST INTERNATIONAL PUBLI- his assignment for this issue, Rincon Creek Ranch (see The Journal: Lodging, page 14). In addition to those accolades, our national parks issue from August 2016 graphs from the ’40s by Ray Manley and Chuck CATIONS MAIL PRODUCT (CANA­DIAN DISTRIBUTION) “It’s an impressive place — big and right up against Saguaro National Park,” Meckler was a silver medal winner in the Special Focus category. The gold went to Abbott. I can’t tell you how many awards those SALES AGREE­MENT NO. 40732015. SEND RETURNS TO says. “What most surprised me was that the owners, Bill and Gretchen Shirley, are the QUAD/GRAPHICS, P.O. BOX 456, NIAGARA FALLS ON L2E our friends at Down East magazine in Maine — hats off to Kathleen Fleury two aficionados might have won in their day, but 6V2. POSTMASTER­ : Send address changes to Arizona only full-time workers — everyone else is contracted. It’s a major undertaking to keep and her team for always doing everything right. In this issue, we’re tackling their work was unsurpassed. Superb. Second to Highways, P.O. Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Copy­ the venture moving forward.” Meckler began shooting in high school and continued right © 2018 by the Ari­zona Department of Trans­­por­­tation. while he was majoring in biology at Stony Brook University in New York. “I’ve never the subject of national parks again, along with some of the state’s other pub- none. Just like that of Barb and Jeff, Kelly and Repro­duc­tion in whole or in part with­­out permission is pro- lic lands. Keith, Nikki and Noah. hibited. The magazine does not accept and is not respon- stopped taking photos,” he says. “Photography always gives me a personal satisfac- There’s a lot of it out there. If you do the math, Arizona ranks fourth in sible for un­solicited ma­ter­ials. tion and sense of accomplishment. I enjoy the process of taking pictures almost more the nation with more than 35 million acres. Only Alaska, Nevada and Cali- ROBERT STIEVE, EDITOR than seeing the final product.” Meckler’s work has also appeared inSports Illustrated, PRODUCED IN THE USA fornia have more. A large swath of that sacred ground is located within our Follow me on Instagram: @arizonahighways Wired and The Atlantic. — NOAH AUSTIN

2 JANUARY 2018 PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL MARKOW PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP JEFF KIDA ABOVE, RIGHT TOM SPITZ www.arizonahighways.com 3 LETTERS [email protected] THE Special Collector’s Issue � JOURNAL in your latest issue [November

2017] is the best I have ever NOVEMBER 2017 ESCAPE • EXPLORE • EXPERIENCE THE ARTICLE ABOUT SEDONA read! Since living there in the ) Explore) ’60s and ’70s, I am always drawn back to the place of my best childhood memories. It was a joy to read of the way it was back then and even find- SEDONA ing my house in the picture taken from the airport. The article by Lisa Schnebly Heidinger [A Woman by the Name of Sedona] was especially interest- ing. I always loved how Sedona got its name and even learned new facts. I often tell my grandchildren stories of growing up in Red Rock Country and watching old movies just to see the scenery. I can’t wait to share with them your excellent article. You mastered exactly how it was. Even though too many people have ruined the way it used to be, I can understand why so Night Light many have been enchanted with the beauty of God’s creation there. Photographer Shane McDermott Cathy Hoover, Orleans, Indiana wears a headlamp beneath the night November 2017 sky over Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Western Arizona. Jack n my 85 years not once have I written next evening I did it again. It all will be standing photographer. Thank you for Dykinga, who made this photo, was to any media in praise nor complaint. saved so I can enjoy it many more times bringing new perspectives on Arizona, its testing some new camera equipment I Now I’m going to break that record, in the future. people and lands. in the rugged and remote Kofa Moun- happily, to write to Arizona Highways. Barbara Boswell, Laguna Beach, California Jeremiah and Suzanne Dandoy, St. George, Utah tains when he ran into McDermott, Your October 2017 issue is a real winner. a fellow Arizona Highways contributor. The two ended up camping together. Canyon de Chelly is one of my very favor- s a native Arizonan, I commend eading Kelly Vaughn’s essay [Waiting for For more information about Kofa ite places (I’ve been there five times) and Arizona Highways for showcasing our Water, November 2017], I couldn’t help National Wildlife Refuge, call 928-783- Ray Manley was one of my favorite pho- A state with breathtaking photography R but think of finding water on a hike 7861 or visit www.fws.gov/refuge/kofa. tographers. The combination of Canyon and heartfelt articles. In the November that I did last June. It was perhaps one of NIKON D4S, 25 SEC, F/2, ISO 3200, 24 MM LENS de Chelly and Ray Manley is an absolute 2017 Scenic Drive, which delightfully the hottest days of the year when my knockout. When this issue arrived I describes Middlemarch Road near friend Steve and I hiked the West Clear spent the entire evening reading the Tombstone, please note the correct spell- Creek Trail into West Clear Creek articles and poring over the pictures. The ing of Sorin Pass. It is named for Thomas Canyon. Soon we started to cross the Sorin, a Civil War veteran who arrived creek several times, and each time the U.S. Postal Service in Arizona Territory in 1879. He helped knee-deep cold water felt more and more STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION Title of Publication: Arizona Highways Publisher: Win Holden found The Tombstone Epitaph. In addition refreshing. Eventually, the temptation to Publication No.: ISSN 0004-1521 Editor: Robert Stieve Date of Filing: August 10, 2017 Managing Editor: Kelly Vaughn; to his journalistic talents, he played a address below take the plunge and completely submerge Frequency of issues: Monthly Complete mailing address Number of issuesof known office of publication: significant role in the development of myself in the cold water became too great. published annually: Twelve 2039 W. Lewis Ave., Phoenix, Annual subscription price: (Maricopa) AZ 85009-2893 early Tombstone as a miner, rancher and It was so invigorating to escape the des- $24.00 U.S. one year Owner: State of Arizona speculator. His wife, Sarah Herring, was ert heat in this “private paradise” — the 206 S. 17th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85007 the daughter of an Earp associate and the words used by Kelly in her essay. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None Dennis Elley, Prescott, Arizona The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt Arizona Territory’s first female attorney. status for federal income tax purposes has not changed during preceding 12 months. Christine Rhodes, Bisbee, Arizona ISSUE DATE FOR CIRCULATION DATA BELOW: Nov. ‘16-Oct. ’17 Oct. ’17 Average no. Actual no. just read the article about the Chiricahua copies each copies of issue during single issue e are longtime subscribers to Arizona Mountains [The Chiricahua Is a Study in preceding published nearest 12 months to filing date Highways, going back to the 1970s, I Rocks and History, September 2017] and EXTENT AND NATURE OF CIRCULATION A. Total number copies printed 126,647 125,873 when we lived in Tempe and some am anxious to visit there. I wanted to B. Paid circulation W 1. Outside-county, mail subscriptions 104,563 103,594 issues focused on Native American tur- thank you for adding the update to what 2. In-county subscriptions -- -- 3. Sales through dealers, carriers, street vendors, counter sales and quoise jewelry, basketry, etc. We saved has changed since the article was origi- other ­non-USPS paid distribution 6,043 6,393 4. Other classes mailed through the USPS 1,848 1,791 those special issues. Now the magazine nally written. We find that most helpful C. Total paid circulation 112,454 111,778 D. Free distribution by mail focuses more on locations within the state, when planning our trips. 1. Outside-county 151 158 2. In-county -- -- but it’s just as interesting, especially this Barbara Leeuw, Pine, Arizona 3. Other classes mailed through the USPS -- -- 4. Free distribution outside the mail 2,150 2,063 E. Total free distribution 2,301 2,221 year. We have particularly enjoyed the F. Total distribution 114,756 113,999 G. Copies not distributed 11,892 11,874 inclusion of articles written 40 or 50 years contact us If you have thoughts or com- H. Total 126,647 125,873 I. Percent paid circulation 98% 98.1% ago about the places being featured. The ments about anything in Arizona Highways, we’d J. Paid Electronic copies 1,537 1,541 love to hear from you. We can be reached at editor@ K. Total paid print copies + paid electronic copies 113,991 113,319 one by Ray Manley [Photogenic Canyon de L. Total print distribution + paid electronic copies 116,293 115,540 arizonahighways.com, or by mail at 2039 W. Lewis M. Percent paid circulation (print & electronic copies) 98% 98.1% Chelly, October 2017] shows that he was I certify that the statements made by me are correct and complete. Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009. For more information, Win Holden, Publisher an excellent writer as well as an out- visit www.arizonahighways.com.

4 JANUARY 2018 PHOTOGRAPH BY JACK DYKINGA J nature

Ornate Box Turtles

NOAH AUSTIN

When it comes to reptiles with shells, Arizona is best known for desert tortoises, but the state has its share of other turtles, too — including this ornate box turtle (Terra- pene ornata), a small species of land turtle whose shell can reach about 6 inches in length. Box turtles get their name from a hinge on the bottom of their shell, which allows the shell to close like a box to protect the turtle. Distinguished by their dome-shaped shells and Visitors explore the brightly colored eyes (red monument near Faraway Ranch in or orange-red for males, the 1920s. orange-brown or yellow for females), ornate box turtles inhabit low valleys, plains and bajadas in the south- eastern corner of Arizona, usually between elevations of 3,000 and 6,500 feet. In regard to diet, these turtles can’t be boxed in — they’ll eat whatever’s available, including insects, cactus fruits, carrion and even other turtles.

6 JANUARY 2018 PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE D. TAUBERT www.arizonahighways.com 7 J history dining J

THIS MONTH on grilled focaccia and topped with IN HISTORY Grapes prosciutto, tomato, basil, mozzarella ■ In January 1947, Saudi This isn’t just “another tourist trap,” chef-owner Michelle Jurisin says of her cozy and pesto mayo; and the Mediterranean Arabia’s Prince Saud tours Jerome restaurant. It’s a place that expertly pairs delicious food — “simple, salad, which includes grape tomatoes, the Salt River Valley on a basic Italian cooking” — with regional wines, including several from Arizona. goat cheese, roasted red peppers and a quest for ideas for agricul- cabernet sauvignon vinaigrette. Burger tural development in his NOAH AUSTIN lovers shouldn’t miss the sourdough zin own country. burger, which is drizzled with red zin- ■ On January 5, 1932, Tuc- GRAPES IS APPROPRIATELY NAMED. the other places in Phoenix that were fandel and topped with bacon, provolone son Mayor Henry O. Jaas- For a place that revolves around wine, doing a wonderful job with tasting and herbed mayo. A bruschetta board, a tad attempts to cut city that might seem obvious. But just like its menus and bruschetta,” she says. The build-your-own pasta bowl and pizzas employees’ pay and work- namesake, this Jerome restaurant took a target audience, she adds, is “people who are among many other options. ing hours but is thwarted while to achieve its final form. “Before are just trying to get to know wine.” For wine novices, each menu item by provisions of the city’s this, we were the Jerome Brewery,” says Another good fit for a restaurant includes pairing suggestions. The wine charter. chef Michelle Jurisin, who owns Grapes built on vintages: It’s housed in one of list has several Arizona and California ■ On January 12, 1883, the with her husband, Eric. “We decided Jerome’s many vintage buildings. This selections, along with a few from Aus- Southern Pacific Railroad that with the way things were changing one dates to the early 1900s, when it tralia and South Africa. And in 2011, completes tracks that up here — the [Verde Valley] wine coun- was a telegraph office. Subsequent ten- Michelle began offering regular dinners allow Tucson to be reached try, all the tasting rooms starting to open ants included a machine shop, a Shell Arizona Governor Ernest W. McFarland speaks that feature four courses paired with a at the 1958 dedication of the Mule Pass Tunnel. from the East Coast by — it was time to change our concept and service station and the town’s volunteer selection of wines. way of San Antonio. start pairing wines with food.” fire department. The Jurisins bought the In short, visitors to Grapes, whether Mule Pass Tunnel ■ On January 23 and 29, Several years later, Grapes has become building in the mid-1990s. It now sports they’re locals or just passing through, Getting to Bisbee used to require a treacherous drive up and down the rugged 1930, astronomer Clyde another successful endeavor for the Juri- a cozy, trattoria-style interior, a nod to won’t have trouble finding a lunch or slopes of the Mule Mountains. That is, until 1958, when a 1,400-foot tunnel Tombaugh makes the sins, who also own Jerome’s Haunted Michelle’s Italian heritage. dinner worth raising a glass (or two). was blasted through the rock. photographic plates that Hamburger and other area destinations. That heritage also inspires an exten- “I try to beat their expectations when later lead to his discovery For Michelle, the success comes down to sive menu of affordable dishes “crafted they’re traveling and they think they’re NOAH AUSTIN of Pluto at Lowell Obser- a simple but winning formula: spectacu- the way my 98-year-old grandmother going to stumble upon another tourist vatory in Flagstaff. lar food that’s expertly matched with taught me about really simple, basic Ital- trap,” Michelle says, “when they’re really or decades, Bisbee was a mining boom- yards of rock and drilling a pilot tunnel to local and regional wines. ian cooking,” Michelle says. They include getting some of the best food they’re town. But after the mines went bust in drain water from monsoon rains and previously “We really liked Postino and some of the caprese chicken sandwich, served going to have on their vacation.” the 1970s, the Southeastern Arizona city undiscovered springs. It was dangerous work: 50 YEARS AGO F needed a new source of revenue, and it According to the Bisbee Mining and Historical IN ARIZONA HIGHWAYS found it in a tourism industry that’s still flour- Museum, one worker died and 400 man-days ishing. However, Bisbee might not have lasted were lost to accidents. that long without the Mule Pass Tunnel, which Despite the setbacks, the Mule Pass Tun- 60 years ago bypassed an arduous route that nel was completed in late 1958, and it opened motorists once took to get into town. on December 19 of that year. Governor Ernest Early settlers of the Bisbee area usually came W. McFarland was among the local, state and from Tucson or Tombstone, and that meant federal dignitaries on hand for the dedication traversing the steep, rugged slopes of the Mule ceremony. As the Tucson Daily Citizen reported, Mountains. At first, travelers forged their own McFarland spoke about the time he drove over paths. Eventually, though, a narrow, winding Mule Pass in the 1920s. dirt road over 6,033-foot Mule Pass took shape. “The road was so steep that we had to use It later became a section of U.S. Route 80, but a hand pump to get the gasoline from the tank Most of the January 1968 even as a graded federal highway, it remained up to the engine,” he said. issue of Arizona Highways daunting for motorists and truckers. A report Today, the tunnel makes traveling to Bis- was dedicated to Esther from the 1950s indicated that more than 30 cars bee much easier, but visitors still can explore Henderson’s words and had to be towed off the Mule Pass section in a the route over Mule Pass. At the top of the photography. “I learned 15-month period, and that six people had died now-paved Old Divide Road is a monument to my delight that there in car crashes in the preceding four years. that claims the pass is part of the Continental were many more moun- The solution arrived in 1957, when Arizona Divide. However, like many aspects of Arizona tains in Arizona than there and the federal government allocated $2 mil- history, that’s a tall tale — a 6,033-foot tale, in were ‘caterpillars’ on the lion to build a 1,400-foot tunnel under Mule fact. The actual divide is about 120 miles to the 1917 map, and many more Pass. That meant blasting out 55,000 cubic east, in New Mexico. rivers than hair snakes in Grandpa’s rain barrel,” BISBEE www.discoverbisbee.com she wrote. JEROME Grapes, 111 Main Street, 928-639-8477, www.grapesjerome.com

8 JANUARY 2018 PHOTOGRAPH: SZABO PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL MARKOW www.arizonahighways.com 9 J from our archives [january 1963]

The fishing never stops in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona. That’s true even in winter, as this Josef Muench photo from the January 1963 issue of Arizona Highways illustrates. The photo was made at Nelson Reservoir, a narrow man-made lake located along U.S. Route 191 between Springerville and Alpine. The caption described “a lovely day in the crisp air of the White Mountains,” noting that the reservoir was known for its trout population. It still is today, and brown trout are easiest to catch in spring and fall; in between, summer is ideal for rainbow trout. The photo was one of many in the issue that showcased winter in Arizona’s high country. “Most Arizonans, living in the desert country, are strangers to winter and snow,” Editor Raymond Carlson wrote. “But even desert dwellers like snow occasionally, even if they have to travel a half-day or so to frolic in it.”

10 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 11 J photography

Q&A: George Andrejko PHOTO EDITOR JEFF KIDA

JK: How did you end up at color and black and white, and the Arizona Game and Fish shot with both. It was a classic Department? “Murphy’s law” situation: If GA: My younger brother’s I really wanted a shot in color, family wanted to relocate to I’d end up getting it in black Tempe, because my sister- and white, and vice versa. in-law’s sisters were going to school at Arizona State Uni- JK: Camera technology has versity. My mother was still in advanced a lot since then, Chicago, but she took an early but you still do a lot of shoot- retirement and they all moved ing manually, rather than with to Tempe. I was still in New automatic settings. Why? Mexico and was traveling back GA: I’ve been disappointed and forth to visit, and eventu- several times, on important ally, I just decided I was going shots, when the automatic to move there. One day, my focus would lock onto a brother showed me a clip from branch or something like that. The Arizona Republic about a I knew my way around a Nikon job opening for a photographer FM2, which is a classic manual at Game and Fish, and I ended camera, and I just didn’t want up getting the job. In August, a program doing what I already I started my 29th year there. knew how to do. Maybe I like the challenge, but I also want JK: How has your position any mistakes to be mine, rather evolved? than the camera’s. I probably GA: At the beginning, it was shoot 90 percent of my photos A Mexican gray wolf, a lot of black and white pho- with manual focus. GA: With the advancement of the situation and work your wearing a tracking PHOTO WORKSHOP tography and work in the dark- cameras and the digital age, way around to a good angle collar, traverses room. Our magazine, Arizona JK: You’ve shot just about every you still need to know the rules and a good composition — as a snowy landscape in Slot Canyon and the Colorado Plateau the Apache-Sitgreaves of photography and your way much as the animal will let you, Wildlife Views, was just starting Arizona species, including Cali- National Forests. March 18-22, Page the process of using color pho- fornia condors, black-footed around your camera. Study the anyway. I use a 600 mm lens, Lower Antelope Canyon is the focus of this Northern tos on the cover, but most of ferrets and Sonoran prong- manual, watch YouTube videos which definitely helps, since Arizona workshop led by photographer Suzanne Mathia, the magazine was black and horns. What tips would you and learn everything you can. I don’t have to get too close to but participants will also take a half-day float trip white. I carried two cameras, offer wildlife photographers? Then, in the field, try to assess the subject. from Glen Canyon Dam to Horseshoe Bend. Information: 888-790-7042 or www.ahpw.org To learn more about photography, visit www.arizonahighways.com/photography.

12 JANUARY 2018 PHOTOGRAPHS: ABOVE GEORGE ANDREJKO OPPOSITE PAGE KAREN RYAN www.arizonahighways.com 13 J lodging

TRUE WEST. REAL ADVENTURE.

happy hours, with a massage studio, Rincon Creek Ranch game room and business center. There are many reasons to visit this former cattle ranch near Saguaro The one- and two-bedroom casitas National Park, including the fully stocked casitas, a nature trail and the have similar floor plans, but Gretchen toy-like squeaks of Gila woodpeckers in the morning. decorated each with a different theme. The one-bedroom Casa Azul is brightly KATHY MONTGOMERY painted, with Talavera tile accents, while the Appaloosa includes a signa- THE SUN WAKES THE DESERT Desert sanctuary. In 2010, they bought ture copper tub. The two-bedroom El gently. Despite a triple-digit forecast, a 78-acre former cattle ranch bordering Ranchito offers the most privacy, with the emerging sun feels mild, backlight- Saguaro National Park East and set to an unobstructed view of Tanque Verde ing the fat arms of monsoon-fed oco- work on seven luxury casitas overlooking Ridge and a wraparound patio perfectly Visit Prescott and discover the new tillos and giving the rounded tops of the park. They’ve since expanded their positioned for sunrise and sunset. The paloverdes a soft, brushed look. Even land to nearly 100 acres, to preserve the access gate to Saguaro National Park lies Heritage Trail and History Hunt. the saguaros look soft, their spiny skins views and the quiet, and constructed a within sight, and there are birding lists, glowing as benignly as peach fuzz. The 1.3-mile nature trail that ambles through trail maps and binoculars in the casitas. Connect the dots in Arizona’s past, only sounds are the whit-weet of a curve- the property’s three habitats: desert, mes- Those looking for an active vacation billed thrasher, the musical wing beats quite bosque and pasture. find trail rides, jeep tours and golf Prescott’s heritage, and the of doves taking flight and the toy-like The Santa Fe-style casitas, painted nearby. Shops and restaurants in down- treasures to be discovered. squeak of a Gila woodpecker. Being in rich desert hues, offer full kitchens, town Tucson are about a half-hour away. able to watch the desert come to life fireplaces, laundry facilities and patios. But many find no reason to leave. They while swaddled in a fuzzy robe, sipping Stocked with whole-bean coffee and feel content to enjoy the parade of cardi- freshly ground coffee, is reason enough fresh eggs from the Shirleys’ chickens, nals, finches and towhees to the feeders, to book a casita at Rincon Creek Ranch. they include all the comforts of home. and to watch the sun gently coax open VISIT-PRESCOTT.COM Bill and Gretchen Shirley threw every- A Mission-style multipurpose building the bloom of a barrel cactus to reveal the thing they had into creating this Sonoran serves as a gathering spot for impromptu colors of a tequila sunrise. 866.878.2489

TUCSON Rincon Creek Ranch, 14545 E. Rincon Creek Ranch Road, 520-760-5557, www.rinconcreekranch.com

14 JANUARY 2018 PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN MECKLER OPEN TO THE PUBLIC For nearly a century, Arizona Highways has been showcasing the scenic beauty of the forty- eighth state. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and more than a third of it is located on public lands — this land is your land. It’s too much to present comprehensively, so we’ve narrowed the list of great outdoor places to 52 … one for each weekend of the year.

BY NOAH AUSTIN, KATHY MONTGOMERY, ROBERT STIEVE AND KELLY VAUGHN

Snow covers the jagged cliffs of the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix. The mountains are part of the Superstition Wilderness and the Tonto National Forest. Saija Lehtonen

16 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 17 WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC LANDS, Alaska is the most privileged state in the union. With more than 325 million acres of state and federal jurisdiction, there’s an endless stream of recreational opportunities up there. At the other end of the spectrum is Delaware, which has less than a thousand acres. Somewhere in between is Arizona — we rank fourth, behind Alaska, Nevada and California. Our 35 million-plus acres of public lands include state parks, national forests, wilderness areas, national monuments, national parks, national conservation areas and more. As a whole, they provide Arizonans and visitors from around the world with opportunities to hike, bike, camp, fish, hunt or string a hammock. Last year, our state parks alone attracted nearly 3 million visitors to their 64,413 acres. And in 2016, Grand Canyon National Park approached 6 million visitors for the first time in history. But more than people passed through the turnstiles. According to a federal report, those 6 million people at the Canyon spent $648,170,900 in the communities near the park. And that spending supported 9,779 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the economy of $904,315,700. That’s just one national park. Almost a billion dollars. Indeed, public lands are good for the economy, and they’re good for Arizona Highways, too. Our mission, which was mandated by the state Legislature in the early 1920s, is to pro- mote travel and exploration in the state. Public lands are a big part of that. Thus, this month’s cover story. As you’ll see, we’ve left out some of the obvious sites — places we feature on a regular basis — and focused instead on some of the lesser-known destinations. These are your public lands. Here’s hoping you find something to do this weekend.

18 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 19 [ 01 ] just a short drive down a forest one shot, known as “thru-hikers,” cally out of Southern Arizona’s AG UA F RI A road to the trailhead. Really, usually start on the southern Altar Valley. Some have likened NATIONAL MONUMENT though, this path just follows end, at Coronado National its massive, bare-rock sum- The Agua Fria River runs inter- the river — or, in dry seasons, Memorial, and hike north in the mit, the remnant of a magma mittently for 120 miles, from the riverbed. That means you spring, but some go from north bubble, to a shark’s tooth. To just northeast of Prescott to can walk it for as long as you’d to south in the fall. The whole the Tohono O’odham people, the Gila River west of Phoe- like to explore the cottonwoods, trek typically takes a month or it’s the bottom of an hourglass nix. Its course includes Black sycamores, willows, bobcats, two, but it’s been done much where the sands of time pass Canyon, Lake Pleasant and the coyotes, pronghorns and more faster: In 2016, Arizona native unseen from the upper half in monument that’s named for it than 175 bird species that call and long-distance runner the spirit world. It’s also where — which, in addition to providing the monument home. Michael Versteeg completed the Tohono O’odham deity a home for the river, contains NEARBY TOWN: Phoenix the route in just under 16 days. I’itoi lives. Oddly, the eastern 71,000 acres of stunning desert INFORMATION: Hassayampa Most people, though, will want half of Baboquivari Peak was landscape, ancient petroglyphs Field Office, 623-580-5500, to take their time and enjoy the excluded from the tribe’s land and swaths of riparian habitat. www.blm.gov/visit/agua-fria sights, which include the Grand in 1916, and it became a Bureau One of the best ways to experi- Canyon, the San Francisco of Land Management wilder- ence the monument is via a [ 02 ] Peaks, the Mazatzal Mountains ness area in 1990. Scaling the hike along the Badger Springs ARIZONA NATIONAL and Saguaro National Park. summit requires technical skill Trail. From the Badger Springs SCENIC TRAIL NEARBY TOWN: Statewide and rock-climbing equipment. Road exit off Interstate 17, it’s There are many ways to hike INFORMATION: Arizona Trail Robert Forbes and Jesus Mon- what’s commonly known as Association, 602-252-4794, toya made the first recorded the Arizona Trail, which runs for www.aztrail.org ascent in 1898. From Thomas BELOW: Afternoon light shines on the about 800 miles from the Utah Canyon, their route to the sum- Agua Fria River at Agua Fria National state line to the U.S.-Mexico [ 03 ] mit is considered the easiest. Monument north of Phoenix. Joel Hazelton border. Some hikers tackle BABOQUIVARI PEAK Hikers can get as far as Lion’s OPPOSITE PAGE: Long shadows form each of the trail’s 43 segments WILDERNESS Ledge. The views there aren’t at sunset along a section of the Arizona individually, often taking sev- The centerpiece of Arizona’s as grand, but there is a rare National Scenic Trail in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness near Tucson. eral years to cover the entire smallest wilderness area perennial spring. Joel Hazelton distance. Those who do it all in (2,040 acres) rises dramati- NEARBY TOWN: Sasabe

INFORMATION: Tucson Field no fee to visit the refuge, and is as untamed as any in the Ranger District, 928-687-8600; Office, 520-258-7200, www visitors can enjoy it via two state. Home to bears and www.fs.usda.gov/asnf .blm.gov/arizona short hiking trails, a 3.5-mile wolves, it extends from high- scenic drive or a 2.5-mile country forests and meadows [ 06 ] [ 04 ] paddle on the river in a canoe near Alpine to the high deserts BUENOS AIRES BILL WILLIAMS RIVER or kayak. You also can cast for around Clifton. Like a connect- NATIONAL WILDLIFE NATIONAL WILDLIFE catfish, bluegills, smallmouth ing artery, the Blue River’s ripar- REFUGE REFUGE bass and other fish via lighted ian woodlands run north and Photographer Jack Dykinga, a Open water, verdant marshes, shoreline fishing facilities, south through both. Summer longtime Arizona Highways con- riparian woodlands, dramatic which are open 24 hours a day. is the best time to explore the tributor, says the grasslands of cliffs ... they’re all on display at NEARBY TOWN: Lake Havasu City higher elevations. The 12-mile Buenos Aires National Wildlife this wildlife refuge, which pro- INFORMATION: U.S. Fish and Bonanza Bill Trail runs along Refuge remind him of Africa’s tects a section of its namesake Wildlife Service, 928-667-4144, the high ridge that separates Serengeti — but with mule deer waterway just before it empties www.fws.gov/refuge/bill the Blue River and San Fran- instead of Thomson’s gazelles. into the Colorado River at Lake _williams_river cisco River canyons on the The 117,464-acre sanctuary, Havasu. The 6,100-acre ref- remote eastern side; it also dips located near Baboquivari uge’s diverse terrain attracts an [ 05 ] into the New Mexico wilder- Peak southwest of Tucson, equally diverse animal popula- BLUE RANGE ness area. Lower elevations offers myriad opportunities tion, which features more than PRIMITIVE AREA are more enjoyable in cooler to spot wildlife. More than 350 documented bird species, The Blue Range remains the months. The slot canyons, 330 bird species have been including endangered South- country’s only primitive area. All pools and hot springs that line documented there, and the western willow flycatchers the others have been upgraded the southernmost stretch of refuge covers most of the U.S. and Yuma clapper rails. Desert to wilderness areas, such as the 17-mile Blue River Trail are range of the masked bobwhite, bighorn sheep reside on the the contiguous Blue Range simply wild. an endangered quail species. refuge’s steep cliffs, and in the Wilderness in New Mexico. The NEARBY TOWNS: Alpine, Clifton There are pronghorns, too, and water, nearly 200 aquatic spe- reasons are complicated. Even INFORMATION: Alpine Ranger Pronghorn Drive, a 10-mile cies have been spotted. There’s so, this 173,762-acre preserve District, 928-339-5000; Clifton loop that starts and ends near

20 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 21 Maple leaves display their autumn hues along Ash Creek in the Galiuro Wilderness near Willcox. Derek von Briesen

accesses the upper third of the lived in what later became the wilderness. It’s rocky and steep, Galiuro Wilderness. Those who climbing more than 1,500 feet did were as obstinate as the along its 6-mile course. Expect land. The Power family eked to be rewarded with sweeping out an existence ranching and views of the Verde Valley in per- mining before a 1918 shootout fect solitude. Just don’t expect left four people dead and trig- the trail to be forgiving. gered a massive manhunt. A NEARBY TOWN: Camp Verde lesser-known “sky island,” the INFORMATION: Verde Ranger Dis- Galiuro Mountains are unusual, trict, 928-567-4121, www with two parallel ridges sepa- .fs.usda.gov/prescott rated by a pair of canyons. The preserve’s irregularly main- [ 09 ] tained and sometimes hard- DEAD HORSE RANCH to-follow trails get little use. It’s STATE PARK far more common to see bears The first time Calvin “Cap” Ireys’ than to see people, and old- children visited a property Ireys growth trees, naturally inacces- was thinking of buying, they sible to loggers, also populate noticed a dead horse lying in the canyon in abundance. Pri- a field. Later, after the family mary trails line both ridgelines. looked at some other proper- A backpackers’ dream, the ties, Ireys asked his kids which West Divide Trail runs along the one they liked best. “The one western ridges, dipping past with the dead horse,” they the Powers’ cabin and mine. To answered, because they were the east, Bassett Peak makes kids. And so, in 1950, the place a fine autumn day hike, with became Dead Horse Ranch. sycamores, aspens and oaks Ireys owned it until 1973, then decked out in fall finery — and sold it to Arizona State Parks; it views from the summit that just opened as Dead Horse Ranch won’t quit. State Park in 1977. The 320-acre NEARBY TOWN: Willcox park, located on the Verde River INFORMATION: Safford Ranger just northeast of Cottonwood, District, 928-428-4150, www now attracts anglers, canoeists .fs.usda.gov/coronado and kayakers, along with hikers who enjoy more than 20 miles [ 11 ] of trails in and around the park. GILA BOX RIPARIAN If you’re in Old Town Cotton- NATIONAL CONSER­ wood, you can reach the park VATION AREA the refuge’s visitors center, is a www.fws.gov/refuge its harsh desert climate, the meaning motorized vehicles Wildlife Service, 520-387-6483, documented, well maintained via the Jail Trail, an easy 1-mile Water is life. And in Gila Box good place to see them. Bue- /buenos_aires 860,000-acre refuge is home are prohibited, but old roads www.fws.gov/refuge/cabeza or well marked, and most are hike that starts near Pizzeria Riparian National Conserva- nos Aires also protects Brown to more than 275 kinds of wild- there are open to hiking. For the _prieta rated as difficult. The area Bocce. And these days, spot- tion Area, four waterways Canyon, a pristine example of a [ 07 ] life, along with 400 Sonoran best photography and wildlife- takes its name from a ridge, ting a dead horse at the park is — the Gila and San Francisco “sky island” ecosystem. Guided CABEZA PRIETA Desert plant species. Here, watching opportunities, you [ 08 ] below Tule Mesa on the Verde extremely unlikely. rivers, and Bonita and Eagle hikes into the canyon are held NATIONAL WILDLIFE Gila woodpeckers carve holes should visit early in the morning CEDAR BENCH Rim, that separates the Agua NEARBY TOWN: Cottonwood creeks — create a lush, bio- on the second and fourth Sat- REFUGE in saguaro cactuses to build or late in the evening. The ref- WILDERNESS Fria River and Verde River drain- INFORMATION: Dead Horse logically diverse oasis in the urdays of each month from Endangered Sonoran prong- nests that later are reused by uge’s visitors center in Ajo offers You’re forgiven if you haven’t ages. Early pioneers mistook Ranch State Park, 928-634- desert. During spring, kayakers November to April. The cost is horns and lesser long-nosed elf owls and other animals. And interactive nature displays and heard of the Cedar Bench the Utah junipers for cedars. 5283, www.azstateparks.com are especially lucky to float $5 per person, with a maximum bats are among the animal after a wet winter, more than an interpretive trail that fea- Wilderness. Despite its central A federally designated Wild /dead-horse the Gila, which, depending on of 12 people per hike. species protected by this ref- 30 wildflower species put on tures bird blinds and a desert location near Camp Verde, it’s and Scenic River stretch of the runoff, can be a moderately NEARBY TOWN: Arivaca uge, which is located along the a spectacular spring display. pupfish pond. one of the least-visited areas Verde runs along the wilder- [ 10 ] challenging course to paddle. INFORMATION: U.S. Fish and U.S.-Mexico border between Almost all of the refuge is fed- NEARBY TOWNS: Yuma, Ajo in the Prescott National For- ness area’s eastern boundary, GALIURO WILDERNESS Regardless, exploring the con- Wildlife Service, 520-823-4251, Yuma and Ajo. In fact, despite erally designated wilderness, INFORMATION: U.S. Fish and est. The trails are not well while the Chasm Creek Trail Historically, not many people servation area by kayak, canoe

22 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 23 recreation site on the Prescott National Forest. Another great option for kicking back is the Groom Creek Schoolhouse Group Picnic Site. Built in 1902, the historic schoolhouse and adjacent picnic area can be reserved in advance for groups of up to 50 people. Visitors without reservations can utilize the outdoor accommodations when groups aren’t present. NEARBY TOWN: Prescott INFORMATION: Bradshaw Ranger District, 928-443-8000, www .fs.usda.gov/prescott

[ 15 ] HAIGLER CANYON RECREATION SITE Fishing is the main attraction at this recreation site, which is located just below the Mogollon Rim, not far from the isolated community of Young. The creek of the same name is rugged and flows through a transitional vegetative zone or inflatable raft is a wonderful for backcountry exploration. Grand Wash Cliffs in North- [ 14 ] that ranges from ponderosa way to experience prehistoric The best way to experience western Arizona. Marking the GROOM CREEK pine forest to chaparral habi- and historic structures, more the monument is to venture transition from the Colorado RECREATION AREA tat. Although the creek offers than 100 bird species, rock art into its wilderness areas, of Plateau to the Basin and Range Camping, picnicking, hiking, some intense hike-in fishing and — if you’re lucky — desert which there are four: Grand Province, the 12-mile-long cliffs mountain biking, bouldering, opportunities, the easiest place bighorn sheep. Wash Cliffs (see below), Paiute, step down from the Shivwits horseback riding … there are to drop a line is at Fisherman NEARBY TOWN: Safford Mount Trumbull and Mount Plateau to the Mohave Des- many recreational ops at this Point, which is located about INFORMATION: Safford Field Logan. For a bird’s-eye view ert in two Brobdingnagian refreshing nook in the Prescott 2 miles north of Haigler Canyon Office, 928-348-4400, www of the region, hike to the top steps of between 1,000 and National Forest. What’s more, Campground. If you’re not inter- .blm.gov/visit/gilabox of Mount Trumbull itself. With 2,000 feet. Above the cliffs, an it’s a quick getaway — just ested in fishing, some of the an elevation of 8,029 feet, it’s 11-mile trail traverses the length 10 minutes from Courthouse chiseled canyons in the area [ 12 ] the highest point within the of the wilderness area. The Square in Prescott. It’s the make wonderful swimming GRAND CANYON- monument. And although there Colorado River once shaped pines that make it so refresh- holes. And just west of the site PARASHANT are no designated campsites these impressive formations, ing, no matter what time of is Colcord Lookout, an 83-foot NATIONAL near the trailhead, dispersed although today the river flows year you visit. The many trails, steel fire tower that’s listed on MONUMENT primitive camping is allowed 20 miles to the south. The only which are open year-round, the National Historic Lookout When it comes to solitude, throughout Grand Canyon- water you’re likely to find now include the Wolf Creek Loop Register. Regardless of what Grand Canyon-Parashant Parashant. is in natural pools after a rain. (5.5 miles round-trip) and the you do in the daytime, at night, National Monument might NEARBY TOWN: St. George, Utah Nor are you likely to find people. Groom Creek Loop (8.7 miles you’ll want to pitch your tent at have cornered the market. The INFORMATION: Grand Canyon- You might, however, find des- round-trip). The latter climbs Haigler Canyon Campground. National Park Service and the Parashant National Monument, ert bighorn sheep, as well as to the top of Spruce Mountain. Bureau of Land Management 435-688-3200, www.nps.gov opportunities for canyoneer- That name, by the way, is a mis- jointly manage this monument, /para ing and the chance to write an nomer. There aren’t any spruce which contains more than a intriguing chapter in your own trees in the area. What the early OPPOSITE PAGE: Rocky cliffs loom over the eastern end of Grand Canyon- million acres of rugged, remote [ 13 ] story. settlers thought were spruce Parashant National Monument, located terrain. There are no paved GRAND WASH CLIFFS NEARBY TOWN: St. George, Utah are actually firs. There are pic- north of the Grand Canyon. roads or cellphone reception WILDERNESS INFORMATION: Grand Canyon- nic areas, however, including Nick Berezenko there, but there are plenty of Nature writes its history on Parashant National Monument, the Spruce Mountain Picnic Site RIGHT: A fallen tree forms a bridge over Haigler Creek downstream from Haigler stars in the night sky, as well the land. And in few places is 435-688-3200, www.nps.gov at the summit of the mountain Canyon Recreation Site. as a number of opportunities that more evident than in the /para — at 7,700 feet, it’s the highest Joel Hazelton

24 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 25 Surrounded by trees, the camp- ever walked by, he surely would deer and other wildlife. Think of trails that lead into the side ground offers two day-use sites have written something about it as reality TV. canyons. The western section, and two campground areas the experience. The recreation NEARBY TOWN: Alpine via Fool’s Canyon, offers more with 14 overnight sites. area is composed of a couple of INFORMATION: Alpine Ranger solitude and fewer livestock, NEARBY TOWN: Young forested campgrounds, access District, 928-339-5000, www with cross-country access to INFORMATION: Pleasant Valley to the Blue Range Primitive .fs.usda.gov/asnf; Hannagan the upper elevations — includ- Ranger District, 928-462-4300, Area (see page 21) and the his- Meadow Lodge, 928-339-4370, ing Sam Powell Peak, at just www.fs.usda.gov/tonto toric Hannagan Meadow Lodge, www.hannaganmeadow.com above 4,000 feet, and a dra- which stands alone in the mid- matic rock formation called the [ 16 ] dle of the Apache-Sitgreaves [ 17 ] Needle. HANNAGAN MEADOW National Forests, a place gen- HASSAYAMPA RIVER NEARBY TOWN: Wickenburg RECREATION AREA erally off-limits to commercial CANYON WILDERNESS INFORMATION: Hassayampa Named for Robert Hannagan, development. The history of The Hassayampa River runs Field Office, 623-580-5500, a carpetbagger who did some how that happened dates to underground for much of its www.blm.gov/arizona cattle ranching in the area, Han- 1926, when the U.S. Forest Ser- 100-mile course. But it surfaces nagan Meadow ranks as one vice issued a rare permit for a like a mirage along the south- [ 18 ] of the most beautiful places store to be built. Later, a service eastern portion of this Sonoran IRONWOOD FOREST in Arizona — had Robert Frost station was added, along with Desert preserve, supporting as NATIONAL MONUMENT cabins, a restaurant and the many as 280 species of birds, This 190,000-acre monument main lodge. Today, the Shangri- a native fish called the longfin safeguards its namesake La of the White Mountains dace and an unusual shrub, trees — Olneya tesota, formally LEFT: A blooming hedgehog cactus offers modern conveniences flannelbush, with tiny yellow — which are among the longest- overlooks the Hassayampa River Canyon Wilderness near Wickenburg. such as hot meals, running blooms. Most visitors enter the living trees in the Sonoran This view is from a hill above water, electricity and four-star wilderness area northeast of Desert. In addition to its diverse Constellation Road, one of the service, but there are no televi- Wickenburg, via Constellation and significant plant life, the wilderness area’s main access routes. Joel Hazelton sions or telephones, and cell Road. The adjacent Williams monument is also home to ABOVE: Ragged Top, the defining service is nowhere to be found. Ranch runs cattle along the several desert mountain ranges geological feature of Ironwood Forest In their place is an expansive river. The trails here are poorly — Silver Bell, Waterman and National Monument near Tucson, looms over saguaros and chollas. front porch that looks out on a marked, so it’s easiest to hike Sawtooth — as well as cultural George Stocking meadow that attracts elk, mule along the river, following cattle and archaeological sites that

26 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 27 A solitary hoodoo rises from the rocky landscape of the Kanab Creek Wilderness on a foggy spring morning. Mark Frank

campground, too, which offers [ 23 ] panoramic views of the San individual, double and group K E N D RI CK PA R K Francisco Peaks on the horizon, campsites with picnic tables WATCHABLE WILDLIFE with open grasslands and old and campfire rings. Tents, trail- TRAILS junipers in the foreground. By ers and motor homes up to There are two trails at this the way, in case you’re wonder- 40 feet can be accommo- beautiful site, which is about ing, the unusual name of the dated. If you need more than 20 miles northwest of Flagstaff lake comes from kinnikinnick, that, the South Rim is an easy in the Coconino National Forest. which is spelled slightly differ- day trip away. One is a short, paved loop (a ent and is another name for the NEARBY TOWN: Williams quarter-mile round-trip) that’s bearberry plant. Kinnikinnick INFORMATION: Williams Ranger wheelchair accessible, and the also refers to a Native Ameri- District, 928-635-5600, www other is a longer loop (1.5 miles can mixture of tobacco, dried .fs.usda.gov/kaibab round-trip) that’s made of sumac leaves and bark. smooth dirt. Both are easy and NEARBY TOWN: Flagstaff [ 22 ] feature interpretive signs, which INFORMATION: Flagstaff Ranger KANAB CREEK add an educational element District, 928-526-0866, www WILDERNESS to the experience. In addition, .fs.usda.com/coconino Located north of the Grand the park sits at an elevation Canyon, this 68,000-acre of 7,900 feet and bridges the [ 25 ] wilderness area is a land habitats of forest and grass- KOFA NATIONAL of extremes, prone to flash land, making it an ideal place to WILDLIFE REFUGE floods and radical elevation see northern flickers, red-tailed The rugged canyons of the Kofa changes. Summer temps can hawks, mule deer, porcupines, Mountains, located northeast reach 120 degrees, while the pronghorns, elk, Abert’s squir- of Yuma, harbor one of Arizo- creek’s water can be numb- rels, badgers and coyotes. na’s rarest sights: California fan ingly cold. But it’s also a land NEARBY TOWN: Flagstaff palms (Washingtonia filifera), of dramatic beauty. From its INFORMATION: Flagstaff Ranger the only species of palm tree origins in Southern Utah, Kanab District, 928-526-0866, www native to the state. The trees Creek carves a labyrinth of .fs.usda.gov/coconino grow only in narrow side can- date back 5,000 years. Ragged Valley Road to this remote wil- Aztec Pass, an early pioneer the wilderness area’s name without even knowing it — it’s canyons and gorges, one that yons that get the right amounts Top, an appropriately named derness area, in the northwest route. acknowledges the Hopi spirits located just off State Route 64 features fins, knobs and stun- [ 24 ] of sunshine and moisture. You mountain, is the crown jewel of corner of the Prescott National NEARBY TOWN: Prescott who dwell in the Peaks for half between Williams and the ning vertical walls. Landmarks KINNIKINICK LAKE can explore these microcli- the monument in terms of bio- Forest, is reason enough to visit. INFORMATION: Chino Valley the year. If attaining the high- South Rim of the Grand Canyon. with enchanting names such PICNIC AREA mates via Kofa National Wild- logical and ecological diversity: Once you’re there, seven main- Ranger District, 928-777-2200, est heights is your goal, the Although swimming isn’t as Scotty’s Castle and Whis- There are a few lakes on Ander- life Refuge’s Palm Canyon Trail. It’s home to several endan- tained trails lead into the small www.fs.usda.gov/prescott 5-mile Humphreys Trail, which allowed in the lake, fishing is. pering Falls contain grottoes, son Mesa in the Coconino From U.S. Route 95, a dirt road gered species, including the preserve, which is marked by an starts at the Arizona Snowbowl And the fishing is good. hanging gardens and, in some National Forest. Some are leads 7 miles east to a parking lesser long-nosed bat and the ancient upwelling of the Colo- [ 20 ] parking lot, will get you there. Because the lake averages a seasons, waterfalls and effer- busier than others. One of the lot and a half-mile hike into Nichol’s echinocactus. Primitive rado Plateau. Named for the KACHINA PEAKS For a lower-key approach, the depth of 37 feet, the deepest of vescent pools. Sowats Point quieter options is Kinnikinick, a the canyon. If you visit at mid- camping, mountain biking, hik- area’s predominant geological WILDERNESS Kachina Trail is superlative in the Williams-area lakes, it’s is one of five trailheads that spring-fed, 126-acre lake on a day, there’s a short time period ing and horseback riding are the feature, the 5.5-mile Juniper Altitude is everything in this its own way, passing ancient known for having some espe- access more than 90 miles of rocky high prairie that attracts when the trees are in the sun best ways to explore this wild Mesa Trail runs east and west wilderness area, which encom- pines, massive firs and the big- cially large rainbow trout. primitive trails in the wilderness pronghorns, elk and bald and easily photographed; the landscape, but a 33-mile drive along the mesa’s broad, juniper- passes the San Francisco gest bracken ferns you’re likely Largemouth bass, channel cat- area, which is managed by the eagles. And because the lake rest of the day, they’re in the through the monument is an dotted surface, overlooking the Peaks’ summits, including to ever see — plus aspens so fish and sunfish are found in the U.S. Forest Service and the has some good-sized brown shade. But the palms aren’t the option as well. Apache Creek Wilderness and Humphreys Peak. At 12,633 feet, lovely, they’ll leave you quaking. 45-acre lake as well. In addition Bureau of Land Management. and rainbow trout, it attracts refuge’s only attraction. Other NEARBY TOWN: Tucson Granite Mountain. It terminates Humphreys is Arizona’s highest NEARBY TOWN: Flagstaff to fishing, the area makes a Backpackers generally spend anglers, too. Although camp- plants you might see include INFORMATION: Tucson Field at a junction with the Oaks and point, and it’s also the center- INFORMATION: Flagstaff Ranger great picnic spot. That is, if you several days working their way ing is no longer allowed at the ironwoods, paloverdes and Office, 520-258-7200, www Willows Trail, which descends piece of the state’s only tundra District, 928-526-0866, www like nature. The lake, which sits along minimally marked and day-use area, the lake is still a rare Kofa Mountain barberries, .blm.gov/visit/ironwood the mesa’s southwestern edge region. The Peaks are the only .fs.usda.gov/coconino at an elevation of 6,800 feet, is maintained trails to the Colo- great place to launch a kayak found only in a few Southwest- through George Wood Canyon’s place on Earth where the San lined with pines and wild rado River and back. or canoe. And, of course, as ern Arizona mountain ranges. [ 19 ] thick stands of junipers, pon- Francisco Peaks groundsel, a [ 21 ] grasses. And in late spring and NEARBY TOWN: Fredonia the name implies, the area And along the way, you might JUNIPER MESA derosa pines and oaks. That small flowering plant, blooms KAIBAB LAKE summer, wildflowers add a INFORMATION: North Kaibab is ideal for a picnic. In addi- spot desert bighorn sheep or WILDERNESS trail also features the north fork each September. The Peaks There’s a good chance you’ve splash of color to the land- Ranger District, 928-643-7395, tion to the wildlife you might hear the yelp of a coyote.

The drive along Williamson of Walnut Creek and views of are sacred to 13 tribes, and blown past this wooded lake scape. Kaibab Lake has a www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab see, you’ll have some great [CONTINUED ON PAGE 32]

28 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 29 A solitary hoodoo rises from the rocky landscape of the Kanab Creek Wilderness on a foggy spring morning. Mark Frank

Yuccas, agaves and chollas grow beneath the jagged peaks of the Kofa Mountains in the Kofa Wilderness. This view is from the summit of Ten Ewe Mountain (4,715 feet). Joel Hazelton

30 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 31 have RV hookups, or eight learning center and trail system panoramic views. There are perhaps because of its early Verde River Sheep Bridge, north camping cabins, which have on 80 acres along Walker Road. hiking trails, too, including the protection — it was desig- of Carefree, to near Strawberry. bunk beds, climate control NEARBY TOWN: Prescott Bog Springs/Kent Springs Loop nated wilderness in 1940, then NEARBY TOWNS: Payson, Straw- and electricity. Picnic tables, INFORMATION: Bradshaw Ranger (5 miles round-trip), which an official wilderness area in berry restrooms and showers are District, 928-443-8000, www offers a quick and easy intro- 1964 — or its rugged terrain. INFORMATION: Payson Ranger nearby, and the cabins’ covered .fs.usda.gov/prescott duction to the area. Another Today, 240 miles of trails cross District, 928-474-7900, www porches make great places to great hike is the Old Baldy Trail more than 250,000 sprawling .fs.usda.gov/tonto watch sunrise or sunset. [ 30 ] (10.8 miles round-trip), which acres, a diverse swath of Cen- NEARBY TOWN: St. Johns MADERA CANYON leads to the summit of Mount tral Arizona that includes 7,884- [ 32 ] INFORMATION: Lyman Lake State RECREATION AREA Wrightson, the highest point in foot Mazatzal Peak as well as MOUNT TRUMBULL Park, 928-337-4441, www Rare birds make their way to the area. At the end of the day, desert and riparian habitats. WILDERNESS .azstateparks.com/lyman-lake Madera Canyon. And so do you can look forward to a quiet Two trails highlight the area’s Ever wonder what Arizona many birders. The holy grail night in the canyon. There are extremes. The 27-mile Mazat- looked like 100 years ago? This [ 29 ] for the latter is the elegant three lodging facilities and a zal Divide Trail runs north and remote, undeveloped land on LYNX LAKE trogon, a colorful bird related campground with 13 campsites south along a ridgeline from the road to the Grand Canyon’s RECREATION AREA to quetzals. Seeing one is a big suitable for tents or RVs. Mount Peeley to North Peak Toroweap Overlook probably You won’t be alone at Lynx deal, but birds are hardly the NEARBY TOWN: Green Valley before ending near Payson. comes close. Located on the Lake. More than 90,000 people only reason to visit this beauti- INFORMATION: Nogales Ranger That route, which doubles as a remote Arizona Strip between a year visit this popular rec- ful canyon, which was carved District, 520-281-2296, www section of the Arizona Trail (see the Grand Canyon and Utah, reation area, which is located out of the northwest face of .fs.usda.gov/coronado page 20), passes scenic camp- the region’s namesake peak just southeast of downtown the Santa Rita Mountains in the sites and springs, along with a is the high point of the Uin­ Prescott. But don’t let the Coronado National Forest. In [ 31 ] succession of long-range vistas. karet Mountains and lies about crowds discourage you. The addition to the birds, Madera MAZATZAL The lightly traveled Verde River 40 miles from the nearest [CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29] NEARBY TOWN: Sonoita the Treasure Loop Trail, which scenic 55-acre lake attracts Canyon is home to black bears, WILDERNESS Trail crosses its namesake paved road. You’re more likely INFORMATION: Tucson Field climbs toward the Supersti- people for many reasons, mountain lions, deer, coatimun- Despite its proximity to Phoe- waterway twice, sometimes to encounter a wild turkey than NEARBY TOWN: Quartzsite Office, 520-258-7200, www tions and offers spectacular including the fishing — the lake dis, coyotes, bubbling springs, nix, the Mazatzal Wilderness becoming hard to follow as it another human being. The INFORMATION: U.S. Fish and .blm.gov/visit/las-cienegas views of the Phoenix area to was built along Lynx Creek spe- green grasses, big trees and remains surprisingly wild, meanders 28 miles from the basalt-topped shield volcano Wildlife Service, 928-783-7861, the west. cifically for that purpose. Hiking www.fws.gov/refuge/kofa [ 27 ] NEARBY TOWN: Apache Junction and mountain biking are popu- LOST DUTCHMAN INFORMATION: Lost Dutchman lar, too. There are seven trails [ 26 ] STATE PARK State Park, 480-982-4485, in the area, ranging in length LAS CIENEGAS The Dutchman was actually www.azstateparks.com from a half-mile to 7 miles. If NATIONAL CONSER­ German, not Dutch. You prob- /lost-dutchman you’ve never been, the Lynx VATION AREA ably knew that. You probably Recreation Trail, which winds Tucked into a transitional zone also knew that Jacob Waltz’s [ 28 ] around the lake, is a good intro- between the Sonoran and fabled gold mine has never LYMAN LAKE duction to the area (the west Chihuahuan deserts and fed by been found — turning his trea- STATE PARK side is paved and accessible to perennial Cienega Creek, Las sure into one of Arizona’s most Lyman Lake has been a state wheelchairs). But keep in mind Cienegas National Conserva- enduring myths. Lost Dutch- park since 1961, but the human that the east side of the trail is tion Area protects one of the man State Park, located east history of this site, near St. Johns closed from December 1 to most significant riparian zones of the Phoenix area, celebrates in Northeastern Arizona, goes June 30 each year to protect in Southern Arizona. Whether Waltz’s legacy, but it’s tough to back much further. Several nesting bald eagles. Other you choose to hike or bike to get lost on its well-marked hik- large Ancestral Puebloan ruins, wildlife includes ospreys, great experience this NCA, you’ll have ing trails, most of which begin which date to the 1300s, are blue herons and mule deer. You a place to stay. While dispersed in the park before heading into located near the reservoir, and can learn more about the crit- camping is allowed along the the Tonto National Forest and the park’s Peninsula Petroglyph ters and their surroundings at back roads of Las Cienegas, the Superstition Mountains. Trail offers views of Hopi rock the nearby Highlands Center there also are two designated The park’s 134 campsites are art. The lake itself is one of the for Natural History, which has a campgrounds. Set camp, popular most of the year, but few in the area without restric- then consider a hike along the wildflower hunters like to visit tions on watercraft size, and Heritage Discovery Trail at the in February and March, when boats can be launched from NCA’s Empire Ranch headquar- brittlebushes, chuparosas and two paved ramps. In addi- ABOVE, LEFT: Ponderosa pines and other evergreens surround Lynx ters, or connect to the Arizona globemallows bloom. For the tion to big boats, Lyman Lake Lake, the centerpiece of Lynx Lake Trail via Oak Tree Canyon. You best wildflower viewing, the attracts eagles, ospreys, hawks Recreation Area near Prescott. can also choose your own path park recommends the Siphon and a variety of waterfowl. If Nick Berezenko — responsibly, of course. Many Draw and Jacob’s Crosscut you’d like to stay overnight, you RIGHT: The sun sets over the west side of the Mazatzal Wilderness, a diverse of the back roads make great trails. If you’re looking for a lei- can choose from the park’s and rugged wilderness area in Central hiking trails, too. surely morning hike, though, try 56 campsites, most of which Arizona. Joel Hazelton

32 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 33 is off the beaten trails and out both biodiversity and beauty. of an eye. The 3,000-foot cliffs nomenon in Arizona. And so are in the canyons with a map and The Sycamore Canyon Trail form the southern and eastern rolling hills and lush grasslands compass to guide you.” Regard- — which is often the stream — crescent of the wilderness, the surrounded by rugged moun- less of which path you choose, cuts through the canyon, past colors of their ancient sand- tains. You’ll get all of the above always carry plenty of water and towering pinnacles, sculpted stone shifting with the light. at Parker Canyon Lake, a 132- snacks, and avoid hiking during spires and soaring vertical cliffs They also mark the edge of the acre recreation magnet situ- the hottest parts of the day. that reflect in pools strung Paria Plateau. Paria Canyon ated in the Canelo Hills, south NEARBY TOWN: Ajo along the creek like pearls. At curves 38 miles along the of Patagonia and west of the INFORMATION: Organ Pipe Cac- its terminus, a connecting trail eastern and northern wilder- Huachuca Mountains of South- tus National Monument, 520- runs along the barbed-wire ness boundary, from near Lees ern Arizona. Built in 1962, the 387-6849, www.nps.gov/orpi fence that constitutes the Mex- Ferry into Southern Utah. The lake offers a range of recreation ican border, passing through canyon’s Buckskin Gulch, in options, including fishing (rain- [ 36 ] the rolling grasslands of the Utah, is one of the country’s bow trout, bass, sunfish and PAJARITA WILDERNESS Pajarito Mountains’ foothills. longest and deepest slot can- catfish), boat rentals and hik- Pajarita means “little bird,” It’s an experience to treasure. yons. Some of Arizona’s most ing. The Parker Lakeshore Trail, and that’s what 90 percent NEARBY TOWN: Nogales stunning geology lies within as the name suggests, winds of visitors come to see at this INFORMATION: Nogales Ranger the Coyote Buttes. A 5.5-mile for 5 miles around the lake, tiny gem of a wilderness area District, 520-281-2296, www (round-trip) trail leads to an which has an average depth located near Nogales. Syca- .fs.usda.gov/coronado otherworldly formation called of 82 feet. Whatever you do to more Canyon, with its year- the Wave, with swirling, striated pass the time, keep your eyes round stream, draws both birds [ 37 ] sandstone as stretched and peeled for bald eagles, ospreys and birders in search of the PARIA CANYON- smooth as saltwater taffy. and hummingbirds. You might jewel-like elegant trogon, the VERMILION CLIFFS NEARBY TOWN: Page also see coatimundis, javelinas, ruby-chested painted redstart WILDERNESS INFORMATION: Arizona Strip Field roadrunners and Coues white- and the 160 other avian species The Paria Canyon-Vermilion Office, 435-688-3200, www tailed deer, one of the smallest documented there. But birds Cliffs Wilderness includes .blm.gov/arizona subspecies of white-tailed deer looks more like a mesa than a explored through the National southern boundary of this [ 35 ] are not the only wealth the can- much of Vermilion Cliffs in the U.S. The recreation area mountain, rising gently from Park Service. Betatakin is the slender preserve. Bisect- ORGAN PIPE CACTUS yon holds in abundance. Home National Monument (see [ 38 ] features two campgrounds, a the surrounding high-desert easiest to see — the half-mile ing the Mescal Mountains, it NATIONAL MONUMENT to many rare and endangered page 41), surrounding the rest PARKER CANYON LAKE country store and a beautiful, landscape. But while the Mount Sandal Trail leads from the threads its way through the More than just a monument, plants and animals, it’s rich in of the monument like the iris Lakes are an unexpected phe- mile-high environment of oaks, Trumbull Trail sounds moder- visitors center to an overlook narrowest part of the Gila Organ Pipe Cactus National ate, climbing about 1,500 feet of the dwelling, the name of River Canyon, a deep, narrow Monument is also an Inter- over 2.5 miles, the climb isn’t which means “ledge house” gorge 8 miles below Coolidge national Biosphere Reserve, without its challenges, includ- in Navajo. A more adventur- Dam that gives the wilder- a UNESCO designation that ing a hard-to-follow trail and ous experience is to make the ness its name. River rats honors a balanced relationship a false summit. The persistent 17-mile (round-trip) trek to have called the stretch from between people and nature. find their reward in a stand of Keet Seel, which is the best- Coolidge Dam to Winkelman This Sonoran Desert gem, pristine ponderosa pines at the preserved large Anasazi site in one of the most scenic and located along the U.S.-Mexico summit, which offers 90-mile the Southwest. Archaeologists inaccessible in Arizona. There border, features a variety of views of an area where cell- believe it was first occupied are no established trails, just rare plant species, including phones are as useless as eight- around 1250 and flourished cross-country hiking and its namesake cactuses, desert track tapes. between 1274 and 1286. By exploring the path of least capers and more. Hike one of NEARBY TOWN: St. George, Utah 1300, however, the Anasazis resistance. Getting into the the monument’s 16 trails to INFORMATION: Arizona Strip Field had moved on, leaving behind wilderness area isn’t as hard gain access to some of the Office, 435-688-3200, www few clues as to why they split. as getting a camel (or a boat) desert’s most beautiful scen- .blm.gov/arizona Today, with a permit, up to through the eye of a needle, ery. Or, as rangers themselves 20 people per day get the privi- but it does involve navigating admit: “Some of the best hiking [ 33 ] lege of hiking to the ruins. rough, primitive roads. And NAVAJO NATIONAL NEARBY TOWN: Kayenta because the public land is MONUMENT INFORMATION: Navajo National surrounded by state, tribal ABOVE: With a summer storm in the Named for the people who Monument, 928-672-2700, and private property, it also distance, a lone tree grows on the rim now occupy the region, Navajo www.nps.gov/nava requires obtaining permission of Tsegi Canyon, located near Navajo National Monument on the Navajo National Monument protects — and, in the case of the San Nation. George H.H. Huey three ancient ruins: Betata- [ 34 ] Carlos Apache Tribe, a permit. RIGHT: Warm light bathes the kin, Keet Seel and Inscription NEEDLE’S EYE NEARBY TOWN: Globe mountains and cactuses of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument as House. The latter has been WILDERNESS INFORMATION: Tucson Field lightning strikes in the distance. The closed to the public since The Gila River unspools like Office, 520-258-7200, www monument is located along the U.S.- 1968, but the other two can be a verdant ribbon along the .blm.gov/arizona Mexico border. Mike Olbinski

34 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 35 way) climb almost 800 feet ness (see page 33) to the north- compete for superlatives. The That deal was finalized in 1986, cross the wilderness area, all of to the top of the knoll, where west. And in between those trail passes the remnants of a and in 1991, Red Rock State them serving as connectors to the views of the surrounding points are steep side canyons homestead that a polygamous Park opened to the public. national park trails leading to White Mountains are worth surrounded by aspens and old- Mormon family figured was Within the park boundaries, a higher ground: Mica Mountain the energy it takes to get there. growth ponderosa pines. remote enough to keep their 5-mile network of trails offers and Rincon Peak, the highest Otherwise, the rest of the NEARBY TOWN: Jacob Lake lifestyle private. But, from all views of red-rock vistas and points in the range, and the routes are easy, and easy to fol- INFORMATION: North Kaibab appearances, the word got out. lush greenery along Oak Creek, Spud Rocks (oddly, there are low, which makes this an ideal Ranger District, 928-643-7395, NEARBY TOWN: Sedona which attracts mule deer, jave- two). The Turkey Creek and destination for parents with www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab INFORMATION: Flagstaff Ranger linas, coyotes and bobcats. Miller Canyon trails enter the young children. Or those who District, 928-526-0866 (Secret Avian species are abundant, wilderness area from the east, are inherently lazy. [ 43 ] Mountain Trail); Red Rock too, and the park hosts bird winding through open grass- NEARBY TOWN: Greer RED ROCK-SECRET Ranger District, 928-203-2900 walks every Wednesday and land and a wooded riparian INFORMATION: Springerville MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS (all others); www.fs.usda.gov Saturday, year-round. area, respectively. The little- Ranger District, 928-333-6200, The beauty of this wilder- /coconino NEARBY TOWN: Sedona used Italian Spring Trail enters www.fs.usda.gov/asnf ness area is hardly a secret: INFORMATION: Red Rock State from the west, ending at a seep. It includes some of Arizona’s [ 44 ] Park, 928-282-6907, www All are steep, rocky and reached [ 42 ] most photographed red-rock RED ROCK STATE PARK .azstateparks.com/red-rock by long drives on gravel roads. RAINBOW RIM cliffs and canyons. If you’ve ever Red Rock State Park, south- That means solitude. And that’s There are two good ways to hiked along the West Fork of west of Sedona, got its start [ 45 ] something to love. see the Grand Canyon from Oak Creek, you already know with Bruce Babbitt, who was RINCON MOUNTAIN NEARBY TOWN: Tucson the seat of a mountain bike. the beauty of its landscapes. Arizona’s governor from 1978 to WILDERNESS INFORMATION: Santa Catalina One is to rent a set of wheels It’s also one of the state’s most 1987. In 1980, the story goes, The Rincon Mountains don’t get Ranger District, 520-749-8700, from Bright Angel Bicycles on accessible wilderness areas, Babbitt was hiking along Oak a lot of love. But while crowds www.fs.usda.gov/coronado pines and grasslands in the watching motorboats kick up exploring, West Doubtful the South Rim. It’s simple, but with plenty of short, easy trails. Creek with friends when some- mob Mount Lemmon in the Coronado National Forest. water as they pass under the Canyon lies a short drive from crowded. The other option is If you’re looking for solitude, one approached the group, neighboring Santa Catalinas, [ 46 ] NEARBY TOWNS: Sonoita, bridge. If the water is clear, you San Simon, while most visitors to head to the north side of the the Secret Mountain Trail is told them they were on private the Rincons serve as a wel- SADDLE MOUNTAIN Patagonia might spot a big catfish from access the northern part of the Canyon and ride the Rainbow one of the paths less traveled. property and asked them to come alternative, with some of WILDERNESS INFORMATION: Sierra Vista up there, too. wilderness area from Duncan. Rim Trail. Although it’s open That’s partly because of rough- leave. Concerned about a loss the best hiking in the area. The Buffalo (or, more accurately, Ranger District, 520-378-0311, NEARBY TOWN: Patagonia The area around Engine Moun- to hikers and horseback rid- and-tumble access roads, of public access to Oak Creek’s Rincon Mountain Wilderness bison) roam this high-country www.fs.usda.gov/coronado INFORMATION: Patagonia Lake tain, named for its distinctive ers, too, it’s become especially and partly because the path scenery and hiking routes, Bab- surrounds Saguaro National wilderness area, which gets State Park, 520-287-6965, profile, draws rock hounds in popular with cyclists. In all, is sometimes hard to follow. bitt worked with Arizona State Park East and the Saguaro its name from the profile of [ 39 ] www.azstateparks.com search of fire agates. Which- the trail runs for 18 miles, from But it’s worth the effort, with Parks to acquire the 286-acre Wilderness on three sides, like a its highest ridge. Bounded on PATAG O N I A L A K E /patagonia-lake ever part of the wilderness area Timp Point on the south end successive canyon views that property via a land exchange. protective blanket. Three trails three sides by deep canyons, it STATE PARK you visit, you’ll find immodest to Parissawampitts Point up The fish grow big at Patagonia [ 40 ] rewards — without a doubt. north. Those are two of the five Lake: In 2014, a Tucson man PELONCILLO NEARBY TOWNS: Duncan, major points that jut into the was fishing for bass there but MOUNTAINS San Simon Canyon from the western edge reeled in a 56-pound flathead WILDERNESS INFORMATION: Safford Field of the Kaibab Plateau. The catfish instead. The Southern From just south of the U.S.- Office, 928-348-4400, www other three are Fence, Locust Arizona reservoir, constructed Mexico border, the Peloncillo .blm.gov/arizona and North Timp. As you might in the 1960s and made a state Mountains curve north for expect, the views at each point park in 1975, also features 100 miles along the Arizona- [ 41 ] are very different, but equally channel catfish, crappies, New Mexico state line. The POLE KNOLL spectacular. Among the land- bluegills and sunfish, along Bureau of Land Management RECREATION AREA marks you’ll see are the Powell with rainbow trout, which wilderness area lies in a small Although it’s best known as a Plateau, Steamboat Moun- are stocked in winter. Other northern section of the range, a playground for cross-country tain, Great Thumb Mesa and aquatic-themed activities at rumple of ridges and canyons skiers, this easy-access, four- Tapeats Amphitheater, as well Patagonia Lake include boating, that resemble the sheets of an season recreation area in the as the Mount Trumbull Wilder- via two boat ramps, and swim- unmade bed. The Butterfield Apache-Sitgreaves National ming, at Boulder Beach. Tent Overland Mail stagecoach ser- Forests is also a great place and RV camping is available vice ran through Doubtful Can- for hikers, horseback riders at more than 100 campsites yon, near the wilderness area’s and anyone who owns a picnic ABOVE, LEFT: The light of sunrise illuminates the namesakes of the in the park. Just west of the southern boundary. The can- basket. In all, there are nearly Peloncillo Mountains Wilderness in campsites, a footbridge spans yon’s name supposedly came 18 miles of interconnected trails Southeastern Arizona. Jack Dykinga one arm of the 2.5-mile-long from early settlers thinking it in the area. Many are short and RIGHT: Fog and snow shroud Coffeepot Rock, one of many sandstone reservoir. The bridge is popular doubtful the Apaches would easy, but the Viewpoint Trail formations in the Red Rock-Secret with photographers but also let them make it through alive. (1.3 miles one way) and the Mountain Wilderness near Sedona. with youngsters, who enjoy A good place for cross-country Summit Trail (2.1 miles one Derek von Briesen

36 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 37 features trails that are steep and difficult, running between the eastern edge of the Kaibab Plateau and House Rock Valley, with trailheads on both ends. The 2016 Fuller Fire burned through the southeastern por- tion of the wilderness, including parts of the Saddle Mountain Trail, which follows the main ridge for 4 miles. It intersects Grand Canyon National Park’s Nankoweap Trail, a difficult, multi-day route to the Colo- rado River from the North Rim. The 7-mile North Canyon Trail crosses the northern part of the wilderness area, winding back and forth across a small stream populated by endangered Apache trout. And the 4-mile South Canyon Trail leads through aspen and mixed coni- fer forests, offering glimpses of Marble Canyon. NEARBY TOWN: Fredonia INFORMATION: North Kaibab Ranger District, 928-643-7395, www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab

[ 47 ] SALT RIVER CANYON WILDERNESS The Boy Scouts and the Sierra Club began organizing rafting trips through Salt River Can- yon in the 1950s. They piloted surplus Army rafts through unnamed rapids, flying by the seats of their pants. Since then, a lot has changed. What hasn’t is that rafting season remains as fleeting as desert wildflowers. Lucky for river run- ners, melting snowpack swells the Salt just as yellow mon- keyflowers and other varieties bloom along the river’s edge. More enduring is the canyon itself, with some of the oldest

The Salt River winds through the expansive canyon that bears its name. The Salt River Canyon Wilderness protects a remote section of the gorge. Shane McDermott

38 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 39 exposed rocks in the South- colors are magnificent, thanks ing the Butterfield Overland Mail west among its stunning layers to sycamores, bigtooth maples, stagecoach route. Basically, it’s of shale, quartzite and lime- Gambel oaks and aspens. The a place of incredible environ- stone. High on its cliffs, bald only question is, why not go? mental, cultural and biological eagles nest in woody fortresses. NEARBY TOWNS: Globe, Young importance, and there are many These days, about 1,800 hope- INFORMATION: Pleasant Valley ways to experience it. To travel fuls with requisite whitewater Ranger District, 928-462-4300, deep into the North Maricopa skills and equipment apply for www.fs.usda.gov/tonto Mountains Wilderness, for an annual lottery of 304 U.S. example, try the Margie’s Cove Forest Service permits to run [ 49 ] Trail. The 11-mile route is best the river through the otherwise SONOITA CREEK STATE traveled in winter or early spring, inaccessible wilderness area NATURAL AREA because summer tempera- in the spring. Others employ Located adjacent to Patagonia tures can soar to 120 degrees or commercial outfitters. A typical Lake State Park, the nearly higher. Motorized vehicles are float goes by fast. But memo- 10,000-acre Sonoita Creek not allowed within the monu- ries remain. State Natural Area includes ment’s wilderness areas. NEARBY TOWN: Globe a portion of its namesake, a NEARBY TOWN: Phoenix INFORMATION: Globe Ranger Dis- verdant riparian corridor where INFORMATION: Lower Sonoran trict, 928-402-6200, www cottonwoods, willows and Field Office, 623-580-5500, .fs.usda.gov/tonto other trees flourish. Created www.blm.gov/visit to protect the area’s natural /sonoran-desert [ 48 ] resources, the site is home to SIERRA ANCHA hundreds of butterfly and bird [ 51 ] WILDERNESS species, which visitors can TONTO NATURAL The pristine condition of the experience on 20 miles of trails BRIDGE STATE PARK prehistoric ruins in this wilder- — some of which are open to Tonto Natural Bridge, near ness area tells you everything equestrians. The natural area Payson, is a relative newcomer you need to know about how also has three private back- to its surrounding landscape. hard it is to get to them. Among country camping sites, each According to geologists, more the remote cliff dwellings of which features three tent than 5,000 years ago, pre- in the canyons of the Sierra pads and a steel fire ring. If you cipitation began to seep under- Ancha, you’re likely to see reserve one of them, be sure ground in narrow Pine Creek pictographs, potsherds and to keep your food secured to Canyon, resulting in aquifers metates. But if Indiana Jones- prevent a curious ringtail from full of dissolved limestone. style bushwhacking, edging making off with it. Springs formed, and the dis- behind spectacular waterfalls NEARBY TOWN: Patagonia solved calcium carbonate in [ 52 ] to its beauty, Vermilion Cliffs and squeezing underneath INFORMATION: Sonoita Creek the water became a travertine VERMILION CLIFFS is remote and rugged, which enormous boulders aren’t your State Natural Area, 520-287- dam in the canyon. Pine Creek NATIONAL MONUMENT means visitors should pay spe- style, there are established 2791, www.azstateparks.com then eroded through the dam Just south of the Utah state cial attention to detail before trails, too. One of them is the /sonoita-creek to create Tonto Natural Bridge, line, Vermilion Cliffs National planning any excursion. Permits 4-mile Coon Spring Trail, which which, at 183 feet high and Monument protects its are required for hiking in Coyote winds through a riparian area, [ 50 ] featuring a 400-foot tunnel, eponymous cliffs, the Paria Buttes North (the Wave) and passing an old line shack and SONORAN DESERT is believed to be the largest Plateau, the Coyote Buttes Coyote Buttes South, and for pit houses. For a small wilder- NATIONAL MONUMENT natural travertine bridge in the and Paria Canyon. Its more overnight backpacking trips ness area, the nature is surpris- If you’ve lived in the Sonoran world. It’s been drawing visitors than 293,000 acres are char- into Paria Canyon. Deep sand, ingly diverse and spectacular, Desert for decades, saguaros since the 1800s, but it didn’t acterized by sweeping vistas, rattlesnakes, flash floods and with geology akin to Salt River might have started to, well, become a state park until 1991; colorful sandstone layers, slot extreme temperatures are Canyon and draped in canyon blend into the scenery a little today, visitors can explore it via canyons and rare wildlife — among other considerations. grapes, orchids and violets. Fall bit. But visit Sonoran Desert four short hikes of varying dif- California condors soar over So, if you’re intrepid, prepared National Monument, and you’ll ficulty. Groups can book over- the monument. Its beauty and maybe just a little bit fear- be blown away by its extensive night accommodations or host alone was enough to warrant less, go — the magnitude and saguaro forest. What’s more, weddings at Goodfellow Lodge, panic when the president des- beauty of Vermilion Cliffs will LEFT: A single tree reaches toward the monument also contains built in the 1920s and located ignated it for review — along move you. a starry sky in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness north of Globe. three congressionally desig- above the bridge. with Arizona’s Grand Canyon- NEARBY TOWN: Page Mike Sanchez nated wilderness areas, many NEARBY TOWN: Payson Parashant, Sonoran Desert INFORMATION: Arizona Strip OPPOSITE PAGE: Flowing water archaeological and historic INFORMATION: Tonto Natural and Ironwood Forest national Field Office, 435-688-3200, nourishes a profusion of greenery at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park near sites, and remnants of several Bridge State Park, 928-476-4202, monuments — with an execu- www.blm.gov/visit Payson. Suzanne Mathia important historic trails, includ- www.azstateparks.com/tonto tive order last April. In addition /vermilion-cliffs

40 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 41 A solitary hoodoo rises from the rocky landscape of the Kanab Creek Wilderness on a foggy spring morning. Mark Frank ROUGH COUNTRY AN ESSAY BY KELLY VAUGHN

Purple cliffs loom over autumn-hued trees along Haigler Creek in the Hellsgate Wilderness. Access to this spot requires miles of swimming through narrows, wading through pools and scrambling over slick rocks. Joel Hazelton

42 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 43 and dirt that rolled my ankles six times in 2 miles and made me wonder what I’d gotten myself into. Again. Chollas. Agaves. Yuccas. Those red-branched manzanitas like flares. No blooms this time, only the drape of heat and the sometimes sound of an unseen bird. After 5 miles, we came to the wilder- ness boundary, another sign. In 1984, Hellsgate earned protection under the Wilderness Act. Its 37,457 acres cannot be mined. Nothing mechanized can enter its boundary. It, according to the act itself, “is an area where earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man.” This wilderness, named for the 1,000-foot-deep canyon that runs through its center, is Bobbie Holaday’s legacy. For years, she hiked it, explored it and fought to protect it. She won. Because she saw value in its ruggedness, its challenges. Its curves and angles and shadows and reflections. I’ve not enough words here to adequately tell her story or share my admiration, but her story has been told in the pages of this magazine before. I will tell you this: Wilderness needs more people like Bobbie Holaday — to protect our inheritance. Too often on a trail, my thoughts turn to the state Wilderness is inherited. of things. And I’ve heard it more and more from peo- The beautiful traits. The rough ones. The rock ple who share a passion for wild places, too. The and dirt and woods and sky — elemental chromo- meditation of a hike is broken by worry that we’ll somes that weave themselves into people, if and lose it someday to growth — and not the natural when we’re open to receiving them. kind. The kind, instead, that comes when greed When you read the words of Edward Abbey or overcomes reason and respect for place or person. John Muir or Aldo Leopold or Charles Bowden, you Even in Hellsgate, where the trail could break get the idea. me, my mind wandered. That is, until we made it Living the idea is different. But only a little. to water. One Tuesday morning, my friend and I drove a After 8.5 miles of elevation gains and losses and little east of Payson to Hellsgate Trail No. 37. I had a final, mile-long stressor of a descent into the been once before. In spring. The earth was snow- canyon, the confluence of Tonto and Haigler creeks. melted and fresh then, and the manzanitas bloomed Perennially, Tonto runs through the wilderness, with puffy pink flowers, their red-brown branches creating pools of green and gray and feeding a habi- Tonto Creek flows AUTHOR’S NOTE: A sincere, but direct warning to have the necessary knowledge, experience, and warm with promise. tat of grasses, oaks, sycamores and cottonwoods. beneath hillsides of our readers: You shouldn’t attempt to hike the trail equipment before you hit the trail.” In short, know firs and ponderosa I used to access the Hellsgate Wilderness. That yourself and your abilities before you attempt That Tuesday, though, October. It was too hot When it merges with Haigler, the creeks pass pines below Bear still, and the earth was swollen with summer and through the gate like lovers, meandering quietly Flat in the Hellsgate is, unless you’re an experienced adventurer — an a journey into Hellsgate. a pregnant anticipation of autumn. The sign at the through the desert until, their waters combined, Wilderness. expert adventurer, really. The terrain is steep trailhead warned of Hellsgate’s danger and that they pour into Theodore Roosevelt Lake. Nick Berezenko and rocky, and the trail is long and exposed. At IF YOU GO we couldn’t count on a rescue if we needed one. As the late-afternoon light hit the water, I forgot times, it’s hard to find. Snakes, mountain lions and LENGTH: 17 miles round-trip Two years ago, the sign scared me. This time, it felt briefly the distraction of fear and politics and the black bears find a happy home in Hellsgate, and DIFFICULTY: Strenuous gnats and mosquitoes thrive near the confluence. more like a reminder of humanness and fragility, slow swell of pain in my body. Butterflies dipped ELEVATION: 5,655 to 3,984 feet a reminder that the wilderness is so much bigger and danced along the water, somewhere along the Should you go, spring and fall are ideal. To attempt DIRECTIONS: From Payson, go east on State than we. route of their migration, deep inside my own rich the trail in summer would be foolish — deadly, even. Route 260 for approximately 11 miles to Mile Marker 263. Turn right just past the mile marker Consider the sign at the trailhead, which reads This is a thing to remember always. inheritance. and continue 0.5 miles to the trailhead. The first part of the trail was forested, shady. The Then the sky darkened, and they were gone. The in part: “Do not assume you will be rescued if INFORMATION: Payson Ranger District, next was not. It cut through an expanse of rock flash of their wings disappearing into rough country. something goes wrong. It is your responsibility to 928-474-7900, www.fs.usda.gov/tonto

44 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 45 FROM OUR ARCHIVES ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN JUNE 1959

BY VIVIEN KEATLEY Editor’s Note: Over the years, the names and jurisdictions of Arizona’s national forests have changed, but their shared mission is essentially as it was when this folksy piece was written almost six decades ago. Today, we have seven national forests in Arizona, although two are managed as one (see page 50). In all, they comprise about 12 million acres. That’s plenty of room to explore. Or, as Robert H. Kelleher, an informa- tion specialist for the U.S. Forest Service, wrote in our October 1946 issue, there’s enough room “for every Arizonan to be an emperor whenever the mood seizes him. He can roam at will over this vast, rich, green empire. This is Everyman’s Empire.”

RIZONA’S MIDRIFF IS FAR FROM BARE. If you scurry across the much-used southern routes, you may think we haven’t enough wood to make a totem pole. But that’s because you’ve bypassed our 11-million-acre vacationland — our national for- ests. With more than a hundred species of trees, these stretch from the “Strip” north A mountain stream of the Grand Canyon to the south and to the east. tumbles over a small One tree, the ponderosa pine, grows in a single, continuous stand nearly 300 miles long, from waterfall near the ponderosa pines of 20 to 60 miles wide, from north of the Grand Canyon well into New Mexico, through the north- the Apache National ern and central part of the state. It grows at a higher elevation. Our state tree, the filmy palo Forest in 1946. Today, verde, prefers the washes of the deserts. the forest is managed jointly with the The old Crook National Forest, named for that intrepid General George who ended the Indian Sitgreaves National Wars with the respect of Indians, has been gobbled up by other national forests. But we’re still Forest. Jack Breed

46 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 47 than 35,000,000 visitors were registered in the national forests, breaking all records — topping the highest before World War II There’s something for everyone in the forests. For those by 83 percent! “People don’t visit the national forests just to be outdoors,” who want all the comforts of home including a hot bath writes Bernard Frank in his wonderful book Our National For- at night, there are excellent lodges and inns and hotels ests. “They can find fresh air, birds, and trees in the well-tamed city parks, out in the country, even on a roof top, or in the back built on commercial leases in the forests and nearby. yard. Nor do they come merely to roast hot dogs, splash in a For those lucky enough to acquire them, there’s a chance stream, or take a sun bath. Many are impelled by a deep-seated urge to return to the ‘primitive’ and sometimes to act the role for a summer home on land leased for the purpose. of ... pioneers in the days when virtually all America was in a natural state. “If they return often enough, the stimulating, health-giving properties of the forest will get under their skins.” money to develop roads and a water supply “just for fun.” There’s something for everyone in the forests. For those The national forests, unlike the national parks and monu- who want all the comforts of home including a hot bath at ments under the Department of Interior, were not set aside as night, there are excellent lodges and inns and hotels built on playgrounds, nor to preserve natural or historic beauty. Man- commercial leases in the forests and nearby. For those lucky aged under the Department of Agriculture, the forests have enough to acquire them, there’s a chance for a summer home two major purposes: protection of the nation’s water supply on land leased for the purpose. For all of us, when we don’t and production of timber. Farmers and ranchers graze sheep try to find one on a summer holiday or weekend, there are and cattle on forest lands, under lease arrangements and care- good campgrounds from near Douglas to the North Rim of the ful supervision. Grand Canyon. There are many other places, reached both by Recreational use of the forests came about almost as an main paved road as well as graded forest roads, where we can afterthought. picnic. Not too many years ago, vacationers, hunters and fisher- Streams for fishermen, game for hunters, a chance to feel men were considered a “damned nuisance” in the forests. We and hear and see and touch nature, are everywhere. started fires, got lost, polluted streams, stuck our noses into But we have even more than that. We have, within our logging and grazing commercial enterprises where we had no national forests in Arizona, some of the nation’s wonderful practical reason for being. The general public was tolerated, wilderness and wild areas. Robert Marshall, who is called Sheep graze amid tall ponderosa pines and feel happiest when tired, after a day’s great exertions, and but not welcomed. And we were supposed to take things as the father of the forests’ wild areas, defined them as “regions near a watering hole in the Sitgreaves stretched out before an open fireplace filled with roaring pine we found them, including finding a place to camp or getting which contain no permanent inhabitants, possess no means National Forest in the 1940s. Chuck Abbott logs. Spring weaves a lace mantilla of pale green for the white- through the forests. The fewer who came, and the sooner they of mechanical conveyance, and are sufficiently spacious that stemmed aspens of the Kaibab, a halo of yellow gold for the left, the better those who ran the forests liked it. a person may spend at least a week or two of travel in them palo verde. In the northern forests autumn paints shimmering You might almost say the Depression introduced Americans without crossing his own tracks.” aspen leaves with a lavish brush dipped into a paint pot of gold. to their forests — and foresters to the public. Recreation was In these areas often it is impossible even to ride horseback. As the days turn brisk, hunters add their red caps and jackets named one of forest land’s many uses in 1932. And the next Only hikers and mountain climbers tackle them. Commercial to the scene, seeking the wide variety of wild game that made year fish and game sanctuaries and refuges were authorized timber cutting is prohibited, and a man is alone with nature as left with all of six, and part of two, within the state’s borders. Zane Grey, noted outdoorsman, build two hunting lodges in within the forests — and the Civilian Conservation Corps was it was before man discovered it — almost. Many people can- Their roll call sounds our history. our forests. organized. not bear a wilderness experience; once the individual learns Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s expedition of 1540 is Summer sends those of us on the desert inside our cooled In forestry alone, around 730,000 man-years were devoted to develop the appreciation, aptitudes, and woodsman’s skills suitably commemorated by the only national forest touching houses. Or to the forests, where sunshine is filtered through by these young men in their camps, half of which were in for- necessary in the wilderness, he becomes refreshed, renewed, Mexico’s border. Its 1,386,000 acres are scattered in discon- pine or fir or spruce leaves — or even the lowly liveoak and ests. They built firebreaks, fought fire, improved timber stands, restored. nected areas from Rodeo, New Mexico, to Tucson, including manzanita. Desert dwellers take to the woods when summer planted trees, built roads, trails, bridges, telephone lines, look- But whether your vacation means “re-creation” or just hav- Douglas, Patagonia and Nogales. Zane Grey immortalized the comes, for lazy outside living near a tent or travel trailer, or out towers. They set up picnic tables, constructed fireplaces, ing fun, some place in Arizona’s national forests can provide it. Tonto. The Sitgreaves was named for Captain Lorenzo. The with just a sleeping bag to roll out beneath the stars. dug garbage and toilet pits, installed water lines. There’s a wealth of leisure — or activity — to suit every man’s Prescott National Forest reminds us of our first state capital. Our lakes are threatened now with drought. But you can Without the CCC, our recreational facilities in the forests interest: camping out or skiing, picnicking, fishing, hunting, Add the Coconino (“piñon nut people”), the Kaibab (habitat of still swim and skim a canoe at Lakeside, water ski at Canyon would have been much slower in developing — and the forests swimming, boating, mountain climbing, horseback riding, the peculiarly charming Kaibab squirrel), the Apache (mostly and Apache and Roosevelt, and you can fish lakes and sev- have not yet caught up with the public’s demand. Perhaps they hiking, looking for unusual rocks or precious minerals, study- in New Mexico) and the Gila (with Silver City, New Mexico, eral hundred miles of natural and man-controlled rivers and never will. ing ancient Indian ruins, discovering fossils, examining an as headquarters), and you have Arizona’s history — and her streams. In Depression years, the campgrounds of the national for- infinite variety of plant, animal and bird life, exploring caves forests. In all of the forests, wherever practical, land has been set ests were one of the few places a family could “set up camp” and meteor craters, collecting pine cones, or just sitting — and In one of them, at every season of the year, there is the ideal aside for recreational uses including picnic areas, camping sites, and live rent-free, with firewood and water available. As the enjoying — the solitude of the great outdoors. Hunting with a vacation and recreation for everyone who seeks the land of and even cabin sites leased to individuals at modest annual Depression years dimmed into memories, the tensions of war, camera yields scenic rewards. Just vacationing — for an after- room enough, and space enough. fees of from $25 to $50 a year. There’s always a waiting list for of a fast-paced economy, of inflation and rapidly increasing noon, a day, a week, a month or a summer — yields memories Snows at higher elevations lure those who love winter sports, these home sites, of course, and they develop slowly. It takes cities, sent more and more of us into the woods. In 1953, more you’ll treasure always.

48 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 49 Apache-Sitgreaves Coronado Prescott ARIZONA’S NATIONAL FORESTS National Forests National Forest National Forest The Mogollon Rim and the White Moun- The Coronado National Forest, made up of The Prescott National Forest borders three From rugged desert to alpine mountaintops, the state’s seven forests tains are the crown jewels of the Apache- several non-contiguous districts in Southeast- other forests — the Kaibab, Coconino and offer 12 million acres of recreational opportunities. Sitgreaves National Forests, which have ern Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico, Tonto — but has wonders all its own within been managed as one U.S. Forest Service is known for its “sky islands” — isolated its 1.2 million acres of Central Arizona. The unit since a 1974 merger. Together, they mountain ranges rising above the surrounding Juniper, Santa Maria, Sierra Prieta and Brad- span more than 2 million acres in Central desert. Plants and animals atop those ranges shaw mountains are there, as are the Black and Eastern Arizona. In Rim Country, can’t survive in the arid desert below, creating Hills, Mingus Mountain, Black Mesa and the visitors flock to several lakes, includ- isolated ecosystems that sometimes support headwaters of the Verde River. An easy loop ing Woods Canyon and Willow Springs; flora and fauna found nowhere else in the drive that starts and ends in Prescott takes farther east, it’s easy to find solitude in world. It also creates tantalizing opportuni- day trippers past three scenic lakes: Lynx, the White Mountains’ alpine meadows ties for hikers and day trippers, who can start Hassayampa and Goldwater. There’s fishing and ponderosa pines. Within the forests’ a trek in the desert heat and end it amid at seven of the forest’s lakes and at eight boundaries are roughly 1,000 miles of trails ponderosa pines and mountain breezes. Pitch sites along the Verde River, and thanks to the that weave through a variety of terrain and a tent at any of the 20 campgrounds on the area’s relatively mild climate, most of them habitat, allowing hikers to spend their days forest’s 1.8 million acres, or enjoy numerous can be accessed year-round. There are nine strolling through dense forests or challeng- opportunities for horseback riding and moun- campgrounds, too, but forest Supervisor ing themselves with high summits. About tain biking. Migratory birds attract visitors Tammy Randall-Parker says the forest is best 50 developed or dispersed campgrounds from around the globe, says Kerwin Dewberry, known for its top-notch trail system, which are found on the forests, and about a third the forest’s supervisor, adding that visitors features 450 miles of hiking and mountain- of them offer fishing opportunities; more craving solitude can explore the backcountry biking routes. It’s the result, she says, of “years opportunities to cast a line can be found via the Coronado’s eight wilderness areas. of collaboration between local communities, along numerous rivers and streams. “The ACRES: 1.8 million (Arizona and New Mexico) recreationists and the forest.” forests in this area are unique,” forest Su- INFORMATION: 520-388-8300, www.fs.usda ACRES: 1.2 million pervisor Steve Best says, “in regard to their .gov/coronado INFORMATION: 928-443-8000, www.fs.usda resources, landscapes and employees, as .gov/prescott well as the communities we serve.” Kaibab ACRES: 2.6 million (Arizona and New Mexico) National Forest Tonto National Forest INFORMATION: 928-333-6280, www.fs.usda The Kaibab National Forest’s 1.6 million acres At nearly 3 million acres, the Tonto National .gov/asnf of canyons, prairies, peaks and plateaus Forest is the country’s fifth-largest forest. And include land directly north and south of its rugged, fascinating environment, which Coconino Grand Canyon National Park; some of the ranges from saguaro cactuses to pine-forested National Forest forest’s 300 miles of hiking trails even cling to mountains, makes it easy to see why nearly From arid Southwestern desert to alpine the Canyon’s rim. And given the forest’s range 6 million people pay the Tonto a visit every tundra, with red rocks and ponderosa pines in of elevations — from 3,000-foot grasslands year. Some of its best-known attractions are between ... that’s the Coconino National For- to the 10,418-foot summit of Kendrick Peak — the Salt River, Saguaro Lake, the Superstition est, one of America’s most diverse forest units. there’s plenty to see and do. There are seven Mountains and Fossil Creek, but there also It covers about 1.9 million acres of moun- developed or dispersed campgrounds, six are plenty of opportunities to hike, rock-climb tains, canyons, lakes and creeks. It’s home designated fishing areas and 17 mountain- or explore ancient ruins. And for those who to 12,633-foot Humphreys Peak, the highest biking trails, along with the North Rim don’t think a day trip is enough time to point in Arizona, along with scenic drives in Parkway (State Route 67), which leads from explore 3 million acres, the forest has more Oak Creek Canyon, the San Francisco Peaks Jacob Lake to the Canyon’s North Rim and is than 30 developed campgrounds and more and the Lake Mary area southeast of Flagstaff. among Arizona’s most scenic roads. “There is than 20 dispersed sites. Whatever your plea- In spring, summer and fall, fishing is available not a day that goes by that I’m not amazed sure, forest Supervisor Neil Bosworth says, at a handful of the roughly 20 campgrounds by the beauty, the peace, the connection and rest assured that “the Tonto National Forest on the forest, and mountain biking is another the adventure that can be experienced in this has something for almost everyone.” popular warm-weather activity. In winter, ski- incredibly special place,” forest Supervisor ACRES: 2.9 million ers and snowboarders have been hitting the Heather Provencio says. “For me, one of the INFORMATION: 602-225-5200, www.fs.usda slopes at Arizona Snowbowl since 1938. “The most valuable things for people visiting the .gov/tonto forest is also rich in Native American heritage Kaibab National Forest is the opportunity to — Brianna Cossavella In this 1946 photo, aspens and ferns line and is held sacred by numerous tribes,” forest find solitude, quiet and clarity in the midst of a secluded forest Supervisor Laura Jo West says. the busy lives that we all lead.” road in the Coronado ACRES: 1.9 million ACRES: 1.6 million National Forest of 928-527-3600, www.fs.usda 928-635-8200, www.fs.usda Southern Arizona. INFORMATION: INFORMATION: Ray Manley .gov/coconino .gov/kaibab

50 JANUARY 2018 www.arizonahighways.com 51 scenic DRIVE

AGUA CALIENTE ROAD With all of the farmland, stockyards and solar panels around Gila Bend, it might come as a surprise that there’s a scenic drive in the area, too, but this historic route fits the bill. BY NOAH AUSTIN / PHOTOGRAPHS BY JIM MARSHALL

Fourth of July Butte, is a nice view of the Gila Bend Moun- tains, which stretch across this area from northwest to south- east. Here, ocotillos and chollas are more prevalent than before, though saguaros still dominate the scenery — don’t miss the impressive one on the right side of the road around Mile 51. Just past that cactus, the road begins to twist as it gains eleva- tion. You’ll hit a high point at Mile 53.5. Pull over to enjoy the expan- sive view of the surrounding mountain ranges, then consider your next move. If you’d like a bit But if you’d like a different perspec- more history, you can continue on Agua tive on the beauty you just experienced, SCENIC Caliente Road to the ghost town of Sun- turn around and head back to Old U.S. DRIVES of Arizona’s ADDITIONAL READING: Best Back dad (accessible via a short hike or four- 80, then return to Gila Bend or go north 40 Roads For more adventure, pick up a copy of our book Arizona wheel-drive road), then turn left onto to Interstate 10 and the Phoenix area. Just Highways Scenic Drives, which 555th Avenue and make your way south be prepared for a lot of notifications on features 40 of the state’s most beautiful back roads. To order, to Hyder, the old Agua Caliente resort your phone once you get there. Ignorance visit www.shoparizonahighways Edited by Robert Stieve and Interstate 8. is bliss, but it’s fleeting, too. and Kelly Vaughn Kramer .com/books.

merson had it right: “There are Georgia coast. After a 22-mile jaunt past the Sonoran Desert. To the south is the many things of which a wise man farmland and solar panels, you’ll reach Woolsey Peak Wilderness, identified by TOUR GUIDE E might wish to be ignorant.” And the historic Gillespie Dam Bridge over its namesake rounded mountain (3,153 Note: Mileages are approximate. LENGTH: 53.5 miles one way these days, the constant stream of infor- the Gila River. Built in the 1920s, the feet). To its northwest is the smaller Sig- mation to your smartphone can make steel truss bridge, one of the longest ever nal Mountain Wilderness. Both are home DIRECTIONS: From Gila Bend, go north on Old U.S. Route 80 for 25.4 miles to Agua Caliente Road. Turn left ignorance seem particularly blissful. created in Arizona, was added to the to desert bighorn sheep, mule deer and a (west) onto Agua Caliente Road and continue 28.1 miles Luckily, despite the phone companies’ National Register of Historic Places in variety of raptors. to the drive’s stopping point. best efforts, there still are swaths of Ari- 1981. It’s fared better than the dam just After you curve around the Yellow VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: A high-clearance vehicle is recommended, but the route is passable in a standard zona where you can’t get a signal. And upstream, which partly collapsed in 1993 Medicine Hills, you’ll start to notice sedan in good weather. Do not attempt the drive after many of them happen to be especially — turning the area around the bridge into more saguaros — there’s an interesting heavy rain or if rain is in the forecast. beautiful, too. Agua Caliente Road, a verdant riparian area that’s home to one with two long, vertical arms at WARNING: Back-road travel can be hazardous, so be aware of weather and road conditions. Carry plenty of which offers Sonoran Desert panoramas fish and waterfowl. Mile 40.5. About 5 miles later, past water. Don’t travel alone, and let someone know where and a bit of history, is one of those. After you cross the bridge, it’s another you are going and when you plan to return. The route begins in Gila Bend, about 3.4 miles to Agua Caliente Road, on the ABOVE: The Gillespie Dam Bridge, which dates to the INFORMATION: Lower Sonoran Field Office, 623- 90 minutes from Phoenix. From Gila left. A half-mile later, the road veers 1920s, carries Old U.S. Route 80 over the Gila River. 580-5500 or www.blm.gov/az OPPOSITE PAGE: Agua Caliente Road offers expansive Travelers in Arizona can visit www.az511.gov or dial Bend, head north on Old U.S. Route 80, right and turns to dirt as it begins to views of saguaro-dotted hills and distant mountain 511 to get infor­ma­tion on road closures, construc­tion, which once ran from San Diego to the wind through the low vegetation of ranges northwest of Gila Bend. delays, weather and more.

52 JANUARY 2018 MAP BY KEVIN KIBSEY www.arizonahighways.com 53 HIKE of the month

huffing and puffing is mitigated by the BLACKETT’S RIDGE TRAIL The payoff on beauty of the desert, which is especially lush in this area. The hillside is covered this hike is one of the best panoramas in the with familiar and unfamiliar plant spe- cies. And in March, it’s sprinkled with Santa Catalina Mountains. But getting there takes the colors of Mexican goldpoppies, some doing. BY ROBERT STIEVE / PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFF MALTZMAN brittlebushes and other desert wildflow- ers. But any time of year, this stretch is stunning. s backyard playgrounds go, Tuc- onto the Phoneline Trail. To this point, Moving on, after a half-hour of overall son might have every other city the trail has been mostly horizontal, but hiking, you’ll arrive at an intersection A beat. To the east and west are the this is where it starts to climb. That’s with the Blackett’s Ridge Trail. This is two districts of Saguaro National Park, significant because the rest of the route is where the serious ascent begins. But and to the north is Sabino Canyon. only 2.2 miles, and in that short distance, before you take off, take a look around. There’s adventure to the south, too, but you’ll ascend almost 2,000 feet. Those There are some great views of Tucson to it’s not as simple. In the other three numbers tend to thin out the crowds. the south and the Rincon Mountains to directions, Mother Nature rubs elbows Although the hiking gets harder, the the east. with the city limits. The flip side to that proximity is overcrowding, but if you From the intersection, turn right onto switchbacks. It’s straight up to the false best in Tucson’s backyard. You can even know where to look, you can usually find the Blackett’s Ridge Trail. After 10 min- summit you saw from below. Once you hear the trickling sounds of Sabino Creek some breathing room. utes, you’ll come to the first switchback. finally get there, the trail dips slightly a few thousand feet below. It’s enough to In Sabino Canyon, the locals tend to After that, they keep coming. And get- downhill and levels off again. As you make you think you’re in the middle of hit the Blackett’s Ridge Trail. There’s no ting steeper. It’s like setting your ellipti- head along the ridge into the home- nowhere, even though you’re just beyond guarantee of solitude along the way, but cal machine on “random.” The workout stretch, the canyons on either side start the city limits of Tucson. it’s much quieter than the expressway continues for about 20 minutes until you closing in, and you’ll get a sense that to Seven Falls or the short loops around reach a point that overlooks Sabino Can- you’re running out of real estate. Then, the visitors center. To get there, though, yon. A few minutes later, the trail levels you’ll see a steel sign that confirms your ADDITIONAL READING: you will have to jostle a bit at the outset. off briefly and enters the Pusch Ridge instincts. “End of the Blackett’s Ridge For more hikes, pick up a copy Like other routes in the recreation area, Wilderness. Looking ahead, you’ll see Trail,” it reads. of Arizona Highways Hiking Guide, which features 52 of the the Blackett’s Ridge Trail is accessed by what you’ll think is the summit. (Spoiler Just beyond those words is a rock state’s best trails — one for each a series of connecting trails, including alert: It’s not.) ledge that insists you sit down. To the weekend of the year, sorted by seasons. To order a copy, visit the heavily trafficked pathway that heads Take a deep breath and start climbing east is Bear Canyon; to the west, Sabino. www.shoparizonahighways east from the restroom at the visitors again. This time, though, there are no Collectively, the panorama is one of the .com/books. center. Technically, that path is the beginning of the Bear Canyon Trail, but the name’s not important. Instead, watch for the TRAIL GUIDE signs that point to the Phoneline Trail. LENGTH: 6 miles round-trip That’s where you’re headed first. DIFFICULTY: Strenuous Within minutes, you’ll be amid the ELEVATION: 2,725 to 4,409 feet Sonoran landscape that makes this TRAILHEAD GPS: N 32˚20.627', W 110˚46.830' place so special. Saguaros. Paloverdes. DIRECTIONS: From Tucson, go east on Tanque Verde Road to Sabino Canyon Road. Turn left onto Sabino Chollas. Prickly Pears. Mesquites. Ten Canyon Road and continue 4 miles to the Sabino Can- minutes later, you’ll come to one of the yon Recreation Area visitors center, which is open from park’s paved roads. Veer right. The trail 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. parallels the road and then drops into an SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: A $5 day pass is required. VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: None unexpected riparian wash. DOGS ALLOWED: No On the other side, you’ll come to HORSES ALLOWED: Not suitable for horses. another park road. This time, hop across, USGS MAP: Sabino Canyon hike about 100 yards, and then turn right INFORMATION: Santa Catalina Ranger District, 520-749-8700 or www.fs.usda.gov/coronado LEAVE-NO-TRACE PRINCIPLES: • Plan ahead and be out all of your trash. RIGHT AND OPPOSITE PAGE: The prepared. • Leave what you find. Blackett’s Ridge Trail passes wildflowers, • Travel and camp on • Respect wildlife. saguaros, ocotillos and other Sonoran Desert durable surfaces. • Minimize campfire impact. plants as it winds to a point that overlooks • Dispose of waste • Be considerate of two canyons. properly and pack others.

54 JANUARY 2018 MAP BY KEVIN KIBSEY www.arizonahighways.com 55 WHERE IS THIS?

October 2017 Answer & Winner Starlite Motel, Mesa. Con- gratulations to our winner, Dolly Evans of Aberdeen, South Dakota.

November 2017 Answer & Winner Wolf Creek Falls, near Prescott. Congratulations to our winner, William Deuel of Sun City, Arizona.

Win a collection of our most popular books! To enter, correctly identify the loca- tion pictured at left and email your answer to editor@arizonahighways .com — type “Where Is This?” in the subject line. Entries can also be sent to 2039 W. Lewis Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009 (write “Where Is This?” on the envelope). Please include your name, address and phone number. One winner will be chosen in a ran- Available now at a retailer near you. Long Shadows dom drawing of qualified entries. Entries must be postmarked by Janu- ArizonaLottery.com Bands of shadow provide welcome relief from the desert heat at this structure, located in a ary 15, 2018. Only the winner will be section of public land that celebrates some of Arizona’s most recognizable inhabitants. The notified. The correct answer will be posted in our March issue and online Must be 21 or older to purchase or redeem tickets. Overall odds vary by game. All structure itself is named for a nearby topographical feature whose color contrasts with the at www.arizonahighways.com begin- sales are final. In accordance with ADA, these materials may be made available in an surrounding landscape. We’d show you, but we can’t. This is a black and white photo. ning February 15. alternative format. Gambling problem? Call 1.800.NEXT STEP (1.800.639.8783) Please Play Responsibly™. Scratchers® is a registered service mark of the California Lottery.

56 JANUARY 2018 PHOTOGRAPHS: ABOVE, LEFT JESSICA MORGAN TOP ARCHIE TUCKER ABOVE MICHAEL WILSON A solitary hoodoo rises from the rocky landscape of the Kanab Creek Wilderness on a foggy spring morning. Mark Frank