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 Springs Wilderness 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

Hot Loop Trail

HOT LOOP TRAIL

Woods Canyon viewed from Hot Loop Trail

In the wrong hands, a hike like the Hot Loop could go bad.  Forest Service signs on the trail warn of extreme conditions, sketchy sections and the fact that the “loop” involves connecting with Jack's Canyon Trail for a rugged 22-mile trek. 

Bell Rock, Bear Mtn and Courthouse Butte

While the full trip is clearly not for everybody, there are less treacherous yet still challenging options to sample some of the best parts of the trail.

Cypress woodlands on Hot Loop Trail

The 12.6-mile Hot Loop trail in Coconino National Forest near the Village of Oak Creek, has two main access points, the Jack's Canyon trailhead—as described here, and the Woods Canyon Trailhead near the Coconino National Forest visitor center along State Route 179.

Horse Mesa seen from Hot Loop Trail

Neither trailhead hints at the precarious nature of what lies ahead. Rough terrain, little shade, steep drop-offs and the potential for springtime floods could put a fatal kink in trail user plans.

The less-crowded Jack's Canyon trailhead is the preferred launch site for day hikers. The trail starts at the west end of the parking area near a corral.  The first half mile is an easy stroll among mesquite and cactus skimming bucolic ranch properties that bump up against the forest boundary.

Scrubby landscape above Woods Canyon

The hike’s transportive quality soon kicks in as the terrain moves from flat fields to hilly cypress-and-yucca foothills giving up good views of iconic rock formations Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock.

Overlooking Village of Oak Creek

 Narrow and rocky, the singletrack path initially takes it time moving up the lower slopes of Horse Mesa.  Pinon pines and shaggy-bark cypress trees throw bits of shade on the track as it reveals bigger and better vistas around every turn.  At around the 1-mile point, the trail makes a pronounced northeast bend, passes a gate (close it behind you) and then descends slightly onto slick rock ledges above the chasm of Woods Canyon.  Cupped in the folds of the mesa the trail dip is a short-lived respite before the trail takes on a ferocious mile-long climb.  Some loose rock and edgy traverses can be unnerving, but well-equipped hikers should have little trouble picking their way up the 1000+-foot ascent. 

Edgy ascent of Horse Mesa

Trail users should be prepared.

The huffing and puffing ends at the lip of the scrubby mesa and enters the Munds Mountain Wilderness area.  A short walk reveals panoramic views of the Pine Valley community, Sedona’s red rock formations, the deep cut of Woods Canyon and Dry Beaver Creek and the distant silhouettes of Capitol Butte and Bear Mountain. 

Jack's Canyon trailhead

For the casual day hiker, the rim makes for a good turnaround point for a satisfying 3-miler.

LENGTH: 6 miles round trip to top of the mesa as described here.

RATING: difficult

ELEVATION: 4,234 – 5,200 feet

GETTING THERE:

Jack's Canyon Trailhead:

From Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the Sedona/Oak Creek exit 298 and continue 6.5 miles on State Route 179 to the Jack’s Canyon Road/Verde Valley School Road traffic circle. Veer right and continue 2 miles on Jack’s Canyon Road to the trailhead on the right. Roads are paved up to the trailhead. There are no fees or facilities at this trailhead.

Woods Canyon Trailhead (alternate access):

From Phoenix, travel north on I17 to exit 298 for SR179, Sedona-Oak Creek, go left (west) and continue 8.5 miles to the turn off for the Red Rock Ranger District Station on the right.  Trailhead is located within the ranger station complex in the south (lower) lot where a small metal sign indicates the start point.

INFO:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/recarea/?recid=54992&actid=50

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.

GALLERY SHOW

MARE CZINAR ARIZONA HIKING GALLERY SHOW

My oil paintings of my hikes on Arizona trails will be featured in a gallery show this fall. 

Hiking in Arizona’s diverse terrain is my inspiration.  With camera and note pad in hand, I’ve hiked thousands of miles across the state—from deserts to alpine tundra—documenting remote footpaths, long distance trails and obscure back roads.  

I’ve been sharing my travels through words and photos with readers of this blog and local media for years.  While photos and written words are adequate descriptors, they are just code---two dimensional attempts at expressing the heady experience of being in nature. 

To bridge the gap between adequate and exquisite, I decided to reignite my old passion of painting to better communicate why the Arizona wilds are so enchanting. 

Paint fills the void.  Using my trail photos as guides, I employ oil paint to merge obvious observations and visceral memories into hybrid portrayals that invite viewer participation.

WHEN: opening reception November 7, 2025. 6-9 p.m.

WHERE: Olney Gallery, Roosevelt Row, Downtown Phoenix

 

Black Canyon National Recreation Trail: Emery Henderson Segment

BLACK CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL: EMERY HENDERSON SEGMENT

New River Mountains seen from Black Canyon Trail

The Emery Henderson trailhead on New River Road is one of the most convenient points of access to the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail from the Phoenix area. 

Looking north on the Black Canyon Trail

The 100+-mile historic route runs north from Carefree Highway to the Verde Valley roughly parallelling Interstate 17 along its rugged course.  

Saguaros are a key attraction on the hike

The second leg in the trail, the Emery Henderson segment

straddles desert flats and floodplains between the freeway and the Agua Fria River that spills into Lake Pleasant in the northwest Valley. 

The Emery Henderson trailhead

Its 4-mile length wanders through the last vestiges of neon and industry before ducking into mountainous backcountry, but not before delivering one of the best trips through saguaro cactus country anywhere. 

Some old trail posts are still standing along the route

But, before it gets to the good stuff, hikers must trudge through a half mile of bland terrain, cross the North El Paso Gasline Road and listen to  firearms noise from a nearby shooting range. Sucking up these minor annoyances pays off quickly, though.

An impressive specimen in the Agua Fria floodplain

Following a rocky two-track the trail soon departs the “Sahara of the Suburbs” and tucks into shadeless plains of cholla and creosote surrounded by mountain ranges.  The distinctive mound of 2,980-foot Gavilan Peak dominates the eastern horizon while band of mesas including 2,857-foor Wild Burro Mesa bolster the western skyline. Where the route begins an easy descent into the floodplains of the Agua Fria River, desert flora, led by majestic saguaros, clutters runoff channels and crumbling foothills. 

New River Mountains to the northeast

Dead saguaros are havens for wildlife

Gigantic saguaros sprout from an earthen stew of white quartz chunks, basalt blobs, assorted metamorphic stones and sediments. This complex show of  geology belies the area’s rich mining history.

But it’s the saguaros that are the segment's signature feature.  They huddle in masses around gullies, stand as lone sentinels over pebbly flats and show up as contorted,zoomorphic forms begging to be named. Even the dead ones live on as havens for wildlife and subjects for detail-driven photographers. A smattering of ironwoods and Palo Verde trees sink roots deep into the major drainages that the trail crosses, providing what little shade the trail has to offer.

Desert icons on the Black Canyon Trail

Name that saguaro

The segment ends where the 3.2-mile Boy Scout Loop takes off.  Hikers may turn back here for a moderate 7.6-mile trek or loop around for a long 10-miler. Either way, Arizona’s most iconic cacti are constant trailside companions.

LENGTH:

7.6 miles roundtrip to the loop and back

10.4 miles roundtrip with loop

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 1,858  1,989

1,850-1,974 feet to the loop

1,850- 2,315 feet with loop

GETTING THERE:

Emery Henderson Trailhead:

From Phoenix, take I-17 north to exit 232 (New River Road). Turn left and follow New River Road for 3 miles and look for the Emery Henderson Trailhead turn off on the right. The roads are paved all the way to the trailhead where there are restrooms (out of order at this writing), hitching posts, covered picnic areas and plenty of parking and an occasional site host.

INFO & MAPS:

https://bctaz.org/