April 20-22, 2025.
All I knew about Agua Fria National Monument was that is was conveniently located between Phoenix and Flagstaff and that they allow dispersed camping. According to the website, “Hiking is a popular activity at the monument.” Cool, I thought. Then the next sentence states: “There are no developed trails. The terrain is very rough and rocky with steep cliffs, canyons and remote areas.” Amazing! Sounds like this place was set aside just for me.
Badger Springs
Despite the stern warning about no developed trails, there is an established trailhead. We found several dispersed campsites nearby and parked in the one that was the farthest away from the other campers. I explored up the wash in search of desert wildflowers. Since it was Easter, Aaron set up a little chocolate Easter egg hunt in the van. We are not Christian, but I do love Easter candy, so this has been our tradition.
Nearing sunset, we ventured out to take a stroll from the Badger Springs trailhead. We followed the obvious trail that paralleled the wash to find the petroglyph site at the river. I say river, because that’s what it’s labeled on the map, but when we got there it was completely dry. It was a beautiful walk, however, with several beautiful blooms along the way. The petroglyphs on the cliff provided Aaron with his own Easter egg hunt. He’s so good at spotting these things that it wasn’t very difficult.
The desert is at its best at dusk. The setting sun provides a lovely, soft light and its heat is tempered to a comfortable level. We walked back slowly and quietly, listening for birds and searching for any flowers we may have missed on the way in.
No particular place to go
I wanted to do a big off trail ramble through the monument, so I obsessively scanned the map until a route made itself visible to me. I left Aaron a plan the next morning and took off early to beat the scorching sun.
My route began along the hike we’d just done the day before. When I got to the end of the trail, I crossed the dry riverbed and turned left. I scrambled in and along the wash, looking for flowers and trying to intersect as many different types of microhabitats as I could: this is how you find as much stuff as possible.
Some of my favorite finds were lupine, prickly poppy, climbing milkweed and false honeysuckle. I also enjoyed listening to the birds and occasionally identifying one by sound or sight. At some points, water pooled in the riverbed, then quickly disappeared again. Each watery spot gave the birds a place to congregate. It was much more pleasant to be in an area with water and shade.
When I was about ready to leave the river’s side, I found a patch of towering willow trees and sat down to eat my lunch. Joining me was a pair of zone-tailed hawks, soaring and screaming overhead. As much as I enjoyed this respite and watching the raptor show, I knew that the day was only going to get hotter. I had to move.
I chose a cross-country ramble that took me over two little highpoints (obviously), then dropped down to a 4×4 road that led straight back to camp. The higher I climbed, the breezier it got, so my strategy turned out to be in my favor. Thousands of hedgehog cactus, with their bright pink blooms, dotted the hills. I had to stop and photograph every other one. Breathtaking! From the top of one of the highpoints, I could see a snowy Humphrey’s Peak. I dreamed of rolling around in the snow as I arrived back at camp, soaked with sweat.
Pueblo La Plata
There was one more site I wanted to visit since we were here: Pueblo La Plata. Unsure of the road conditions to the trailhead, I concocted a bike ride/hike adventure. We left our campsite and drove up, up, up to near the top of the plateau and parked. Then, we hopped on our bikes and rode 3 miles further up the (totally drivable) dirt road to the trailhead. We stashed our bikes and walked through cows to the protected indigenous homesite that was last occupied around 1450 AD.
It would take quite a bit of archaeological knowledge to be able to appreciate this site. There’s not much left of it. The rock walls are being overtaken with plants and cows are literally grazing right nearby. It’s sad to see this allegedly important site under such poor management. Alas, I don’t think this is going to get better any time soon.
We trudged back to our bikes and rode the 3 miles back, mostly downhill, to the van. Then, we took a trip to see some really well preserved native architecture.
Bonus: Montezuma Castle
In sharp contrast to what we’d just explored, Montezuma Castle National Monument stands as a testament to the industriousness and creativity of the people who have lived here since time immemorial. We showed our America the Beautiful pass to the ranger at the visitor center and took the short trail to the viewing area.
We stood under a shade structure, gazing up at the stunning, multi-story cliff dwelling perched impossibly high up off the ground. A volunteer showed us pictures of the inside and taught us about the people who lived here, how the structure was built and other interesting facts about the site. We completed the short trail, which took us past a more dilapidated structure. Here, a healthy looking ground squirrel had made itself a comfortable home.
On the nearby reservation, we skipped the casino and visited the frybread stand that one of the residents set up in a gravel lot. It was the absolute least we could do, besides, frybread is delicious. I hate seeing the contrast of these beautifully preserved and revered ancient sites created by vibrant societies with the poverty and destitution of the descendants today. It seems clear that history has not been kind to indigenous people here and elsewhere. I don’t know what to do with that.
I will continue to advocate for, volunteer on, visit, sing the praises of and respect our public lands. I truly hope they will outlast us all because we benefit so greatly from having them here. I was happy to stumble into these two national monuments along our drive and look forward to the next serendipitous discovery.