Piloncillo Ant Hills

PILONCILLO ANT HILLS

Cottonwood Basin Fumaroles

Ever see that movie “Them!”?  The 1954 black-and-white atomic-age chiller tells the story of mutant ants that go about eating humans in the New Mexico desert.  According to archival promotional clips, the monsters, mutated by atomic bomb test radiation, “claw out of the earth from mile-deep catacombs.”  Over the course of the film, it’s revealed that the ants are colonizing through underground tunnels, commandeered storm drains and rogue queen bees who have flown off to establish new nests.

Volcanic ash deposits along Fossil Creek Road

 Throw in some awesome flamethrower action, poison bombs, traumatized kids and vintage military aircraft and you’ve got the makings of a classic. Spoiler alert: in addition to their appetite for human flesh, the ants also like sugar.  

Chunks of basalt spill over volcanic ash on FR500

While the movie was filmed in what looks suspiciously like Joshua Tree National Monument, there’s a place in Arizona that could have provided a deeper sense of foreboding to the movie’s  bleak and tense theme.  Located 10 miles east of Camp Verde, the Cottonwood Basin Fumaroles in Coconino National Forest would make for a believable backdrop for mutant ants. 

Strawberry hedgehog flower among basalt & ash

The USGS defines fumaroles as “vents from which volcanic gas escapes into the atmosphere. Fumaroles may occur along tiny cracks or long fissures, in chaotic clusters or fields, and on surfaces of lava flows and thick deposits of pyroclastic flows. 

FR500 overlooking the fumaroles

They may persist for decades or centuries if they are above a persistent heat source or disappear within weeks to months if they occur atop a fresh volcanic deposit that quickly cools.” Geologists say that the Cottonwood Basin Fumaroles formed from volcanic ash deposited by nearby Hackberry Volcano that fell on an ancient freshwater lake about 7 million years ago.  The ash hit the calcium-rich water forming cement-like layers from which stream vented. 

Mountain vistas on FR 500

Over millions of years, the lake dried up and softer ash eroded away, leaving conical, honey-combed formations of petrified ash behind.  Locally known as the Tee Pee Rocks, the strange-looking array is tucked away in a shallow canyon just a few steps off Fossil Creek Road.  Visitors travelling on FR708 heading toward Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Sites usually fly right by this curious side attraction.  But a short hike leads to a couple of overlooks for views of the odd geological features.

Overlook on FR 500A

To visit the site, hike one mile downhill from the parking area off SR260 at Fossil Creek Road to FR 500 on the right where there’s a large primitive camping area. Then, hike 0.3-mile on FR 500 to an overlook.  Below, the chain of fumaroles appear as a sort of Pompeii-meets-Wat-Arun or Namibian termite hills gone wild.  With a nod to sugar-loving atom ants, “piloncillo ant hills” would be an apt description as well.

Scrambling down into the basin is not for amateurs. The area is rife with loose rocks, slippery inclines and hidden cracks poised to twist ankles. This is also prime rattlesnake habitat.  The fragile formations may have survived 7 million years of exposure, but it wouldn’t take much abuse from humans to destroy what’s left. So, it’s best to leave them alone and take in the sights from the overlooks. A second overlook is at the end of super-short FR500A, which starts at the camping area.  

Ash and xenoliths along Fossil Creek Road

Although the Tee Pee Rocks are the main attraction of this hike, that’s not all there is to see.  Geology nerds are treated to all manner of volcanic debris along the way.  Road cuts expose layers of volcanic rock, odd outcroppings stuffed with xenoliths and fields of colorful basalt blobs atop chalky slabs of hardened ash—all backed by cinematic mountain views.  Whether hiked alone or as a detour on the way to Fossil Springs, viewing the Tee Pee Rocks is a must-do for fans of Arizona weirdness.

Back home, re-imagine the hike by watching “Them!” with a sugary treat.  It’s probably streaming somewhere.

LENGTH: 3.7 miles round trip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  3,429 – 3,315 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, go 10 miles east (toward Payson) on State Route 260 to Fossil Creek Road (Forest Road 708) on the right.  Park in the designated spaces. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT FURMAROLES:

https://www.usgs.gov/news/earthword-fumarole

Jawbone Windmill

JAWBONE WINDMILL

Corral at the Jawbone Windmill site

Words on maps can be both enticing and deceiving.  While indispensable for navigation, the two-dimensional limitations of maps can’t touch the experience of walking in the spaces they represent.

Bill Williams Mountain on the center horizon

Take for instance Jawbone Windmill, a nondescript line item that appears on the Coconino National Forest map.  A dot in the landscape 15 miles east of Camp Verde, the name stokes curiosity. 

Water tank at the Jawbone Windmill site

The moniker oozes a vaguely carnivorous mood rife with scattered bones, roaming livestock and skulking wildlife, all sustained by a wind turbine pumping life-sustaining water.  How can this enticing destination not be explored?  The go-see trek uses Forest Road 9243C, a rough two-track, that starts at a dirt parking apron on State Route 260. 

A mesquite tree on the high meadow

While the hike to the site is just under 4 miles round trip, the undulating road’s dips and climbs add up to over 1,100 feet of accumulated elevation change--another fact not easily apparent on maps.

Thirteenmile Rock Butte on right

  Immediately past the roadside gate, FR9243C crosses paths with the General George Crook Trail #130.

A steep incline in FR9243C

The unsigned crossroad parallels the highway and is part of the historic military supply route that runs for miles across Central Arizona. But that’s a trip for another day. For this hike, continue straight ahead as the road bends east and then north on its way into the hilly landscape. 

Yucca frame views on the high meadow

The prominent 5,515-foot flat-topped profile of Thirteenmile Rock Butte and its companion 5,283-foot unnamed pointy peak stand out to the east over the first quarter mile.  The easy start, which also passes by a rustic metal water tank, is soon disrupted with the first of several steep descents along the jumbled, juniper-lined road.  But not before giving up sweeping vistas of the Verde Valley, Bradshaw Mountains and the stony gorge of West Clear Creek.  On clear days, Bill Williams Mountain in Kaibab National Forest can be sighted on the far northwest horizon.  

The dry basin of Wire Corral water hole

At the 0.4-mile point at the bottom of a ravine, a faint dirt spur road heads off to the left.  This leads to the Wire Corral water hole.  Dry as a bone—and littered with actual bones—the tiny earthen-dam-backed reservoir is a reminder that Arizona is in long-term drought cycle.  Domestic livestock and native wildlife depend on these created catchments for survival. 

View of the winding road from near the trailhead

Although we cannot control the precipitation needed to replenish them, we can make a difference by donating to the Arizona Game & Fish Department’s Send Water program (link below) to help fill and maintain 3,000 water holes across the state.  It’s an easy way to help ensure wildlife survival.

Beyond the of basin of bones, the road makes another vertical assault, this time on the edge of a gorge overlooking the community of Clear Creek. The ankle-twisting haul tops out on a large high-desert meadow where mesquite, yuccas, agave and cacti frame some of the widest panoramas of the hike.  After a few hundred yards of painless walking, the road plunges again to where a major drainage bisects it at the 1.6-mile point. 

Mingus Mountain viewed fro FR9243C

Here, a side road veers off to the left.  The unsigned route leads to the mystery on the map—Jawbone Windmill.  At just over 0.2-mile in length, the road makes a mild descent to the weedy local. In the middle of shadeless folds of hills, a rusty water tank stands among encroaching catclaw. 

Bolts on the Jawbone water tank

There’s no windmill.  A concrete trough, foundations, decaying corrals and piles of pipes, sheet metal and random parts contribute to a curious array of detritus.  An adjacent water hole is dry.

Faint road on left leads to the windmill site

 Cracked mud enshrines the footprints of deer, bobcats, skunk and cattle that came to drink from residual pools left from sporadic rains.  

Gate at the trailhead on State Route 260

Despite the dismal water situation, this is beautiful country.  Mountain peaks soar over the weather-raved remains, scrub jays screech from pinon pines and in the gulch that empties into the water hole, a family of deer graze before disappearing quietly into the scrub.

LENGTH: 3.8 miles round trip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 4,367 – 4,698 feet (1,128 feet of elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, travel 15 miles east (toward Payson) on State Route 260 to the parking turnouts at milepost 233. Hike begins at the FR9243C gate.

Arizona Game & Fish Send Water Program:

https://www.azwildlifehero.com/programs/lifesaving-water

Buckskin Hills

BUCKSKIN HILLS

Mountain vistas from FR 9C

What’s most remarkable about Arizona’s vast in-between spaces is their sneaky way of delighting.  Take for example, the windy rangeland that lies between the Fossil Springs and West Clear Creek Wilderness Areas in Yavapai County. 

A water hole in the Buckskin Hills

From State Route 260, the scenic byway that runs between the two magnetic recreational destinations, the shrubby hills belie pockets of beauty seen only by those willing to take a chance on one of the dozens of nondescript dirt roads that meander through them.

Snow coats FR9C on March 16, 2025

 

Located 20 miles east of Camp Verde on the Coconino National Forest, the Buckskin Hills usually don’t make the bucket lists of outdoor enthusiasts. 

The view from above Fossil Springs Wilderness

The low-slung ridges that just barely scrape 6,000 feet at their highest point are cluttered with junipers, cactuses and dozens of wildlife water holes.  Forest Road 9C, which swerves off SR 260, serves as an introductory path for exploring the area that hikers may approach with low expectations.

 Water hole below the Buckskin Hills

Brilliant in its ordinariness, the simple road hike has a simmering energy that builds in a slow, steady cadence.

From the dirt turnouts that serve as a trailhead, the waters of Divide Tank reflect mountain peaks, teasing at what lies ahead. 

Divide Tank at the start of the hike

Forest Road 9C is unsigned for most of its length, tucking into a visually underwhelming swath of rangeland.  But only for  a while.  Soon, the mangled, boulder-lined route encounters rustic tangles of corrals and stock tanks tethered by a web of primitive dirt roads.  Jackrabbit jump scares and ravens casting shadows on the tire-torn red-earth roads are the untamed supporting characters that break the dead silence.

Junipers are the dominant trees in the area

Within a half mile of easy walking, the rounded ridges of the Buckskin Hills appear, closing in in the road.  

Glimpses of distant mountains abound

Here, the landscape rises above its ordinariness with first glimpses of breathtaking mountain vistas.  Getting to the big vistas feels like a cheat.  

Ranch relics dot the landscape

There’s no grueling climb, no long-distance haul; they just creep up and spill the goods.  From this perch above the chasm of Fossil Springs, panoramic views include looks at the mountains and mesas of three National Forests: Coconino, Tonto and Prescott.  At the 1.5-mile point, the road meets and unnamed water hole.  Wrapped in metal gates and wire, the water containment serves wildlife and domestic cattle, especially during summer heat and prolonged droughts.  Oaks, junipers and ash trees huddle in the dammed drainage nearby providing shade, cover and nesting environments adjacent to the life-giving oasis.  More surprises and quiet beauty lie ahead on Forest Road 9C and its tangents for hikers willing to bet on the outwardly ordinary.

LENGTH:  3 miles to the water hole and back

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  6,042 – 5,707 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, go 21 miles east (toward Payson) on State Route 260 to Forest Road 9C on the right between mileposts 238 and 239.  Park in the turnouts. Be sure to close the access gate behind you.

Sandrock Canyon

SANDROCK CANYON

An Arizona Sister alights on Gambel oak

Arizona Sisters are hard to ignore.  Adorned with distinctive white markings and orange wing tips the eye-catching butterflies are familiar sights in oak woodlands. 

FR9361A crosses Sandrock Canyon

Native to Central America and the American Southwest, Adelpha eulalia are easy to spot flitting among oak canopies from late spring through fall.

Fossil Springs overlook at end of FR9361A

Unlike many other butterflies, this colorful species with a wingspan of 3 to 5 inches does not normally feed on flowers.  

Sandstone ledges over Fossil Springs Wilderness

Oak trees are their host plants and primary food source, but they can also be observed perching around mud puddles and water holes. 

Arizona Sisters stand out in oak forests

The pine-oak woodlands and riparian canyons of Arizona’s Mogollon Rim provides ideal habitat.  They have a knack for finding beautiful places to live and produce three or more broods per year between March and December.  Hikers can take a step into their terrain by seeking out quiet trails and backroads located between 4,000 and 8,000 feet in elevation where several species of native oaks thrive.  

Amazing views from above Fossil Springs

Forest Road 9361A in Coconino National Forest departs from a who-knew trailhead 27 miles east of Camp Verde on State Route 260.

Agaves grow on the rim over Fossil Springs

 The dirt two-track leads into prime butterfly territory with a jaw-dropping beautiful payoff at the end.

From the trailhead, the FR9361A heads through a barbed wire gate and a concrete tunnel under SR260. 

Sandrock Draw Tank on FR9361A

There are three wire gates along the route. Be sure to close each gate behind you. At the 0.3-mile point, the road is signed as FR9361D, but maps show it as FR9361A, either way, it goes to the same destination.  

Sandrock Draw Tank is a wildlife magnet

A short walk past the sign, pine-shaded Sandrock Draw Tank, a created waterhole, attracts a host of wildlife. 

Water hole near the FR9361Q junction

Birds, dragonflies and Arizona Sisters twitching along its muddy fringe are common sightings.  Sandrock Draw gradually widens becoming a canyon that feeds into Fossil Springs Wilderness.

Tunnel under SR260 at the trailhead

Just beyond the tank, the route heads left at a fork and continues to the 0.9-mile point where the route veers right at the FR9361H junction to stay on FR9361A.  Here, the road traces the Sandrock Canyon dipping and climbing through juniper meadows and Ponderosa pines with occasional mountain vistas peeking through dense tree cover.  

FR9361A ends just yards from the overlook

A major road fork at the 1.6-mile point is marked by a small water hole and the junction with FR9361Q.  The route heads right to again stay on FR9361A.  The final 0.8-mile leg of the hike passes through an enchanting green tunnel--bound to turn gold in autumn-- of Gambel oaks replete with Arizona Sister activity.  The lightly travelled dirt road narrows as it makes a moderate descent to its terminus at a non-descript circular campsite that belies the spectacle located just a few yards beyond. 

Mountain vistas from a sunny meadow

Faint game paths wind through a maze of agave, cacti and ancient Alligator junipers landing hikers at an overlook above Fossil Springs Wilderness.  Sandstone ledges protrude over a gorge that plunges 1,000 feet to the wilderness floor that’s home to Fossil Creek, one of Arizona’s most popular water-centric recreation areas. 

There are 3 gates on the hike. Close them behind you!

Broken agaves at the overlook

Free of the (permit-required) traffic and visitors splashing in the waterfalls, the view from above gives a seldom seen overview of the scope and magnitude of the 11,550-acre wilderness below.

Ponderosa pines shade the route

 

LENGTH:  4.8 miles roundtrip

RATING: easy

ELEVATION:  6,375 – 6,149 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, go 27 miles east (toward Payson) on State Route 260 to Forest Road 142 located past milepost 245 on the left.  Immediately past the cattle guard, turn left into a dirt parking area.  A high clearance vehicle is recommended.

The dirt parking area also serves as an access point for the General Crook Trail No. 130.

General Crook Trail: Mud Tanks Draw

GENERAL CROOK TRAIL: MUD TANKS DRAW

Tanque Aloma on the General Crook Trail

Most of what remains of the historic General Crook Trail are eroding two tracks, toppled rock cairns, tree blazes, a few telegraph insulators, and roadside monuments. 

Forest Road 142H in Mud Tanks Draw

Originally constructed in the early 1870s, the trail stretched for 200 miles along the edge of the Mogollon Rim in Central Arizona between Fort Verde and Fort Apache.

White chevrons mark the General Crook Trail

The dirt track served as a military and civilian supply route for nearly 50 years before being replaced more efficient travel corridors. 

Evie the Aussie shepherd herds her hikers

In the 1970s, Boy Scouts located and signed bits of the route with chevron-shaped white metal markers and rock cairns, many of which are still in place today to guide hikers through the notoriously sketchy path.  Popular reclaimed passages of the old wagon road trace Rim Road (Forest Road 300) and State Route 260 in Coconino National Forest.

Storm clouds over Mud Tanks Draw

 

The third gate near Tanque Aloma

Roughly 22 miles east of Camp Verde, a portion of the General Crook Trail winds through a hilly, juniper-studded landscape situated between West Clear Creek and Fossil Springs Wilderness areas.  The pastoral backcountry is an alloy of dust and juniper welded into a knobby expanse.

Tanque Aloma on the General Crook Trail

Mountain vistas on General Crook Trail

The resin-scented air augments the raw, wind-sculpted landscape of ruffled hills, grassy rangeland, and shrubs disrupted only by whirlwinds and the occasional rogue coyote or herd of cattle.

First gate where General Crook Trail leaves FR142H

From a non-descript trailhead off State Route 260, the hike to the historic backroad segment begins with a short walk on Forest Road 142H.  The dirt two track twists through Mud Tanks Draw, an area of low ground between ridges where water runoff collects in a chain of pools, rivulets, and mucky ponds.  

Ideal lunch spot near Tanque Aloma

The shallow funnel ruptures the scrubby terrain with payloads of rain and snow melt that flows down from the rim above West Clear Creek eventually dumping into Fossil Creek.  The half-mile walk on FR142H ends at a twig-and-barbed-wire gate off to the right where there’s a 142H sign. 

Buffalo-bur in Tanque Aloma

The first set of General Crook chevrons are tacked to the gate.  This is the General Crook Trail crossroads. For this trip, the route continues straight ahead (not through the gate) following sporadic chevrons nailed to fence posts.

Evie on General Crook Trail, April 6, 2024

Although it’s not signed, this segment of the Crook Trail is also named Forest Road 9243P.  The road makes an easy ascent, dodging junipers, catclaw and a smattering of firs and Ponderosa pines.  

Highest point of the hike on General Crook Trail

A second gate marks the beginning of big mountain vistas that continue to expand as the trail works its way to a third gate at the base of a prominent mesa. 

Trail chevrons on the second gate

Just past the third gate, the muddy waters of Tanque Aloma can been to the right (north) and a short walk uphill to the hike’s high point gives a bird’s eye view of its place in the landscape.  While the road continues west to connect with FR9243N, this trip turns around at the top of the ridge and backtracks to the tank where a spur road leads to the water.  Tanque Aloma’s muddy banks are trampled with footprints of domestic cattle, deer, raccoons, coyotes and myriad little critters and birds.  It’s an important water source for wildlife in the semi-arid terrain.  

Turnaround point on the hike

Ringed with buffalo-bur and coniferous trees, the tank’s reflective qualities are a photographer’s dream.

Apron Tank at the trailhead

  A couple of gigantic junipers along the spur road make for shady lunch spots within view of ravens and hawks riding airwaves above the water.

Trailhead off State Route 260

LENGTH:  5.85 miles out-and-back as described here

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  5,819 – 6,137 feet

GETTING THERE: From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, take the State Route 260 exit 287 and continue 22 miles east (toward Payson) to Forest Road 142H on the left just past milepost 241. Forest Road 142 H is not signed, but there’s a stop sign and cattle guide a few yards in.  For reference, Apron Tank, a shallow pool that sits on both sides of the road, is at FR142H.  There’s parking in a dirt turn out past the cattle guard.  (If you pass under power lines, you’ve gone a mile too far).