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SIPE WHITE MOUNTAIN WILDLIFE AREA
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| View from the High Point Trail |
After barely escaping the ravages of the 2011 Wallow Fire,
Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area lives on as a family-friendly nature
discovery destination. Just over 5
miles of groomed hiking trails take visitors through the property's diverse
landscape of wetlands, high-elevation pinion-juniper woodlands and rolling
grasslands. A good way to get an overview of area’s conservation efforts is to
hike the 1-mile High Point Trail, which loops up to the site's zenith. Here, a 20x spotting scope provides
enhanced vision for critter peeping and gasping at the hulking dome of
10,912-foot Escudilla Mountain. In
addition to its animal-haven benefits and "selfie"-worthy viewpoints,
the site is also home to Rudd Creek Pueblo, an abandoned 13th-century village.
Archeological digs have uncovered a plethora of artifacts and tantalizing
insight to the culture and technologies of the ancestral Pueblo people who
lived here for nearly 75 years. Interpretive signs along the route explain some
of the research and samples of intricately painted pottery and hunting tools
found at the pueblo are on display in the visitor center. Sadly, the preserve’s Old Nelson Homestead
succumbed to the fire, but the meadow-swaddled trail leading to the charred
foundation is open for exploration.
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| Escudilla Mountain on the horizon |
LENGTH:
High Point Trail: 1-mile loop (moderate)
Rudd Creek Loop: 3 miles (easy)
Homestead Trail: 1.5 miles (easy)
Trinity Trail: 300 yards (barrier-free)
ELEVATION: 7625’ – 7836’
GETTING THERE:
From Eagar, travel 2 miles south on US191/180 to the signed
turn off on the right at milepost 405.
Follow the maintained dirt access road five miles to the parking
area. The road is sedan-friendly,
however there is one section that floods during period of heavy rain. The
property has a visitor center with restrooms, water, picnic tables, educational
displays and friendly site hosts. The center is open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
from mid-May through mid-October.
In-season hunting is allowed on the property. No fees.
INFO: Arizona Game & Fish Department,
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