CAMPING of Arizona’S Coolest Places 10 to Pitch a Tent
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The Best Lookouts for Lions, Trogons & Bears FEBRUARYJULY 2010 2009 ESCAPE. EXPLORE. EXPERIENCE ULTIMATE CAMPING of Arizona’s Coolest Places 10 to Pitch a Tent plus Our Pick for the Best Hike in Arizona Why You Should Head to Bisbee for a Hot Dog The Refreshing Nature of a Drive in Garland Prairie and Going Green: No. It’s Not What You’re Thinking. FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 14 OUTTA SITE! 34 WATCH FOR WILDLIFE 2 EDITOR’S LETTER 44 SCENIC DRIVE Garland Prairie: There’s a North Rim You’ve heard of rooms with a view? Well, we went look- People get excited about seeing elk. And antelopes. 3 CONTRIBUTORS Grand Canyon contents lot of history along this back National Park ing for something a little different. And we found it. From And anything else in the wild kingdom. They’ll even 4 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR road in Northern Arizona, the remote wilderness of the Grand Canyon to a place stop in the middle of the road and pull out their cam- Flagstaff 5 THE JOURNAL but it’s the scenery that’ll Garland Prairie on the Colorado River that can only be reached by boat, eras. But that’s a bad idea. Instead, go where our Mormon Lake 07.10 People, places and things from really get your attention. we discovered 10 of the best campsites in Arizona. wildlife expert likes to go. It’s safer, it’s scenic and around the state, including WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY KERRICK JAMES you might even catch a glimpse of an endangered 46 HIKE OF THE MONTH a look at the history of the Widforss Trail: It’s true, species. BY LORI K. BAKER Boy Scouts in Arizona, there are a lot of great hikes PHOENIX 22 GREEN MILES former Phoenix Suns great in Arizona, but this one is There’s a common misconception that Arizona is noth- 40 RANCH WOMEN Kevin Johnson on his the best. There, we said it. favorite place to hike, and ing but a hot, dry desert. In reality, it ranks third in the Thanks to John Wayne, John Ford, Louis L’Amour, Bisbee United States in terms of biodiversity. And with that Larry McMurtry ... a romantic image of the Ameri- the best hot dog in Bisbee. 48 WHERE IS THIS? biodiversity comes four seasons, including summer. can cowboy dominates books, movies and even • POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE You can keep buying into the stereotype, but as you’ll advertising. Less attention, however, has been given see in this month’s portfolio, when it comes to the to ranch women, who work just as hard as the men, greens of summer, Arizona can certainly hold its own. whether they’re in the kitchen or out on the range. A PORTFOLIO BY NICK BEREZENKO & SUZANNE MATHIA BY MARY TOLAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER SCHWEPKER ◗ American avocets probe the shallow water of Gilbert’s Water Ranch. PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE D. TAUBERT FRONT COVER Silhou ettes of The Mittens in Monument Valley provide a beautiful backdrop for camping. PHOTOGRAPH BY KERRICK JAMES BACK COVER Keanu James races across the sand at Three Dunes Campground on Arizona’s “West Coast.” PHOTOGRAPH BY KERRICK JAMES To order a print of this photograph, call 866-962-1191 or visit www.arizonahighwaysprints.com. GET MORE ONLINE www.arizonahighways.com Visit our website for details on weekend getaways, hiking, lodging, dining, photography workshops, slideshows and more. Also, check out our blog for daily posts on just about anything related to travel in Arizona, including road closures, environmental news, festivals and other valuable info we couldn’t fit in the magazine. www.facebook.com/azhighways Like us on Facebook and get a behind- the-scenes look at Arizona Highways, Photographic Prints Available along with exclusive photos, trivia Prints of some photographs in this issue are available for purchase. contests, quirky news and more. Visit www.arizonahighwaysprints.com or call 866-962-1191. editor’s contrib- KERRICK JAMES letter Photographer Kerrick James turned a child- utors [email protected] JULY 2010 VOL. 86, NO. 7 hood love of the outdoors into a career as a travel journalist. Hiking and camping are 800-543-5432 www.arizonahighways.com among his favorite activities because, at Publisher least figuratively, it takes him closer to the WIN HOLDEN stars. “I’ve slept on the ground — often Editor ROBERT STIEVE under the stars — more than 300 nights in Senior Editor my life, and I wouldn’t trade those places RANDY SUMMERLIN for the best hotels anywhere,” says James, JEFF KIDA Managing Editor SALLY BENFORD who wrote and photographed this month’s Associate Editor AUTION: SLEEPING BEAR INSIDE!” live in the desert. Especially in July. That’s what KELLY KRAMER camping guide (see Outta Site!, page 14). Editorial Administrator Although he’s set up camp all over the I think I was 5 or 6 when my dad pinned that note to our big brown tent we were thinking about when we put together NIKKI KIMBEL “ Photography Editor West, his sights are set on Arizona’s high- in Yellowstone. I can’t remember if he used the exclamation point or not, this month’s portfolio. C JEFF KIDA but I do remember what went through my head. There were two things: 1) Bear? How The theme of the portfolio is green, and there est peak for his next adventure. “I’d love Creative Director in the hell am I supposed to sleep tonight knowing a bear could get into this tent? And 2) Does he are a couple things we’re hoping to accomplish BARBARA GLYNN DENNEY to camp atop Humphreys Peak and sleep Deputy Art Director under the stars at almost 14,000 feet,” really think that note is going to keep people from stealing our sleeping bags while we’re away from with the images. The first is to inspire readers SONDA ANDERSSON PAPPAN our site? to explore the high country, and the second is Design Production Assistant he says. In addition to Arizona Highways, He didn’t think that, of course. He was just adding a little intrigue to the over- to help dispel a myth. There are many stereo- DIANA BENZEL-RICE James’ work has appeared in National Geo- Map Designer all camping experience for my brother and me. My dad loved camping — he still types about Arizona, the most outrageous of KEVIN KIBSEY graphic Adventure, Outdoor Photographer and Sunset. Production Director does — and over the years we’ve pitched tents together in some of the most beauti- which is that the state is nothing but a desolate MICHAEL BIANCHI ful places in North America: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ontario, Colorado, Montana, stretch of merciless desert. The truth is, Arizona Webmaster PETER SCHWEPKER VICTORIA J. SNOW Idaho, New Mexico, Lake Powell ... and most recently at the North Rim of the Grand ranks third in the U.S. in terms of biodiversity, As a photojournalist and photography instructor, Peter Schwepker says Director of Sales & Marketing Canyon. We’ve had some pretty impressive sites along the way, and we’ve seen a lot behind only California and Texas. And with KELLY MERO working at his passion and earning a living from it are as good as it gets. Circulation Director of Mother Nature, but after looking at Kerrick James’ photos in this month’s cover that diversity comes millions of acres of brilliant NICOLE BOWMAN “Photojournalism allows me to write with my camera,” he says. After two story, the bucket list just got a little longer. green landscapes, some of which are depicted in Finance Director years of working on Ranch Women (page 40), he became part of the Howell BOB ALLEN family. “Mary Tolan [the writer] and I were part of a wedding, a round-up When I first talked to Kerrick about this piece, I asked if he’d be willing to leave Green Miles, our portfolio by Nick Berezenko and Information Technology the pavement and do some exploring. I wanted the story to focus on the best indi- Suzanne Mathia. CINDY BORM ANIS and little moments of family life. It was a great experience,” he says. He vidual campsites in Arizona, not necessarily the mainstream campgrounds. It was a Another benefit of the biodiversity is the ani- Corporate or Trade Sales adds that Arizona is a great place for photojournalists because of the char- 602-712-2019 ridiculous question. Sending Kerrick into the wilderness is like sending Lewis and mal kingdom that comes with it. Even if you’re acter of its people and the amazing landscapes. “Arizona is a perfect blend Sponsorship Sales Representation Clark to the Pacific. He jumped at the opportunity. The only caveat from our end was not a wildlife enthusiast, most people get excited ERNIE MULHOLLAND of those two visual outlets for me.” Schwepker is a frequent contributor to EMM MEDIA SERVICES LLC that the campsites be relatively accessible. A high-clearance requirement was OK, about seeing elk and antelope and mountain 602-971-6260 Arizona Highways and an instructor at Northern Arizona University. but 4WD wasn’t. As you’ll see in Outta Site!, he came back with an impressive collec- lions and bears and especially endangered spe- [email protected] tion — it’s definitely not a list of KOAs. cies, such as Mexican gray wolves. Although Letters to the Editor [email protected] In addition to the Monument Valley campsite on our cover, he photographed sites there’s always a chance that a deer will run right 2039 W. Lewis Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85009 along the Colorado River, on the edge of the Grand Canyon, down in the Chiricahuas into your windshield, in most cases, seeing wild- SUZANNE MATHIA Governor and over in the White Mountains.