Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club
Ruins, Rock Art, and Raptors Day Hike

when	October 19, 2019
where	Agua Fria National Monument
the hike	When declared a National Monument in 2000, the intent was in part to protect the remnants of native culture at Aqua Fria. However, there are exquisite examples still evident outside of its borders.     Deeper into the adjacent Tonto National Forest is a remote but accessible site, rich with history, mystery, and artistry. After a leisurely 3 mile hike, we will encounter our first pueblo of several with the largest abutting a cliff face. Although all that is left of the massed room block construction technique are large stones, still discernible are dozens of rooms and a protective wall of rocks on the cliff face once thought to be 800 feet long and 6 feet high. The fields in front of the main pueblo were cleared and terraced, likely to support crops such as corn, cotton, and agave, the latter of which descendants grown by the Puebloans still flourish scattered around the ruins.     Below the canyon on the rim are numerous petroglyphs and pictographs dispersed, along a significant length of the main Pueblo. Also, the Agua Fria is a rich riparian habitat with 177 species documented including several raptor varieties of hawks, eagles, and falcons.     Occasionally spotted in the adjacent canyon is a special raptor species stealthius fastus (aka F-22), along with massive eagles (F-15) and falcons (F-16). They are released for training from a central location in Phoenix (Luke AFB). Be alert—if you don’t see them coming you will only hear them going!
distance	7 miles
time	5-6 hours
EC	Nominal elevation change
type	round trip
on trail	100%
rating	"C"     Rate yourself as a hiker.
dogs allowed	no
cost	Sharing gas expenses with the driver. The club also allows voluntary contributions of $5 per non-member.
weather	Sedona
meet	7:00 AM in the Fry’s parking lot on the SW corner of I-17 & Bell Road. Park behind Denny’s, near the entrance to the Deer Valley Park & Ride.
drive	•  North on I-17 to exit 259 (Bloody Basin Road). • Turn right, round the curve, and we will reassemble at the kiosk parking area on the right. • From there, we will caravan approximately 16 miles on Forest Service Roads to a gate for the onset. • We will have an intermediate stop on the way at a vault toilet. This will be the only facility during the hike • High-clearance vehicles are required (not necessarily 4WD, however).

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updated November 9, 2019	© Copyright 2019, Arizona Trailblazers.  All rights reserved.