PUEBLO LA PLATA

The "fort" overlooking Silver Creek Canyon

Part of the main pueblo

The "fort" as seen from the pueblo

Sycamore and cottonwood trees in Silver Creek Canyon

The big room at the pueblo

Pottery sherds are abundant--please leave them as you found them!!

PUEBLO LA PLATA Agua Fria National Monument Also known as the Silver Creek Ruins, Pueblo La Plata is one of seven major prehistoric cities and over 450 archeological sites located on the Agua Fria National Monument. Archeologists say this site was active from the twelfth to fifteenth centuries and contained up to 160 rooms. The hike is a two-part exploratory trek. A good trail leads to the pueblo ruins, while an easy cross-country hike leads to a fort. The pueblo sits upon a rounded mound and although most of the walls are waist high or less, the footprint of the complex is easy to discern. Pottery shards are everywhere so, watch where you step. For those willing to spend time exploring, there are also grinding stones, arrowheads and piles of flint litter to be seen. To reach the fort, head roughly 0.5 mile due west from the pueblo veering toward the rim of the canyon. A low rock barricade extends from the very tip of the mesa above Silver Creek canyon. Here, views of Perry Mesa, the Agua Fria River, and the Bradshaw Mountains are breathtaking. When we visited in mid-November, the cottonwoods and sycamores in the creek where lit up in shades of gold. To extend this exploratory hike, climb down into Silver Creek Canyon. This is best achieved by following an unmarked road heading northeast from the trailhead. It will get you near the edge of the canyon where the scramble down is much less treacherous than it would be from the fort area. There are a few petroglyphs pecked into the canyon walls and a primitive road above the water makes hiking manageable. NOTE: PLEASE RESPECT THIS NATIONAL MONUMENT BY LEAVING ARTIFACTS AS YOU FOUND THEM. Do not remove or alter anything and watch your step as not to disturb or destroy anything. LENGTH: 3 miles roundtrip (longer if you climb down into the canyon) RATING: easy ELEVATION: 3,710- 3,630 BEST SEASON: October - April GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, go north on I-17, 40 miles to exit 259, Bloody Basin Road. Follow Bloody Basin Road (also signed as FR 269 and 9269) 8.3 miles to FR 9023 on the left. Continue on FR 9023 1.2 miles (go right at the first junction, left at the second and left at the third---just follow the 9023 signs and you’ll be fine) to the trailhead. There’s a cattle gate, green fence and a small sign that reads “parking area” at the trailhead. Pass the gate and follow the dirt road to the ruins. NOTE: a high clearance vehicle is required and FR 9023 is very rough. Bloody Basin Road looks pretty innocuous in the beginning, but there are some very rugged, narrow sections several miles in that should not be attempted in passenger cars. INFO: http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/natmon/afria.html (623) 580-5500

JOE'S HILL

Joe's Hill as seen from the Sunset Point rest area

JOE’S HILL Agua Fria National Monument Next time you’re traveling along I-17, make a stop at the Sunset Point rest area near Black Canyon and look east across the freeway. That low mound sitting above the Agua Fria Canyon is Joe’s Hill, a shield volcano like the ones in Hawaii. Although it’s possible to hike to the summit of this hill, you’ll need good route-finding skills, at least a high clearance vehicle and much patience to do so. For geology buffs, this volcano has a lot to explore, but for the average hiker, the big draw is getting to look down into the gorge of Agua Fria Canyon. This is of particular interest to hikers who have explored the canyon from Badger Springs Wash---this hike takes you to the edge of the cliffs above. LENGTH: 3 miles (exploratory) RATING: moderate (cross-country, bushwacking) ELEVATON: 3,600 – 4,045 feet BEST SEASONS: October - April GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, go north on I-17 to Bloody Basin Road (exit 259). Turn right and follow Bloody Basin Rd. roughly 11 miles to Forest Road 14. Go right (south) and continue to the second unmarked dirt road on the right. From here, it’s a quagmire of un-maintained dirt roads---so you’ll basically head toward the mound of Joe’s Hill as far as your vehicle will allow. We got to within a half-mile of the volcano’s base in a Jeep. Do your research, get maps and drive at least a high-clearance vehicle. From your parking spot, head toward the hill and pick your way up. GPS: N 34.18753 and W -112.06321 INFO & MAP: http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/az/images/afria.Par.65014.File.dat/aguafriamap.pdf

AGUA FRIA CANYON

AGUA FRIA CANYON Agua Fria National Monument North of Black Canyon City You never know what you’ll encounter when visiting this amazing canyon. Sometimes, running water makes the way treacherous and/or impassible, gushing over boulders and floodplains and collecting in 10-foot-deep pools at the base of vertical basalt cliffs. During dry times, however, the canyon transforms into a rugged wash. Either way, this is not an easy hike. Here are a few photos from our November 2009 visit. ALSO SEE MY PRIOR ENTRY FOR A MORE DETAILED TRIP REPORT FROM APRIL 2005 LENGTH: 8-12 miles (optional) RATING: easy then DIFFICULT ELEVATION GAIN: 560 feet GETTING THERE: Take I-17 north past the Sunset Point rest area and then take exit 256 (Badger Springs Road). Turn right at the exit (east) and drive about a quarter of a mile to the signed Agua Fria National Monument kiosk. There are free maps and an interpretive sign there. Once you have your maps, continue down Badger Springs Road for about a mile to the obvious parking area where there is also a “Badger Springs Wash” sign. The hike starts there. No fees, no facilities, no water, no mercy…come prepared!