My dog Sipapu races across Fort Silver on the mesa above the Horseshoe Ranch
Join the Bureau of Land Management, the Friends of the Agua Fria National Monument, and Sonoran Audubon Society this Saturday, January 9 in celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Agua Fria National Monument and the National Landscape Conservation System.
Agua Fria National Monument was designated by President Clinton to protect one of the most significant systems of prehistoric resources in the Southwest. It also serves to protect some of Arizona’s last remaining desert grasslands and the ribbons of riparian habitat that carve into flat-topped mesas. The riparian areas have been identified as Important Bird Areas by Audubon.
It’s one of my favorite places in the state; a hidden gem you must see.
The free, family-friendly festivities begin at 9am with a guided bird hike; most other activities will be occurring from 10am until 4pm. The event is being held at the Horseshoe Ranch, a private inholding within the Monument boundaries (which we hope will soon be acquired and added to the Monument). You can reach the ranch by exiting I-17 at the Bloody Basin Road (exit 259, about an hour drive north of Phoenix). Follow the dirt road east for about five miles; passenger vehicles can easily navigate the bumps.
There will be plenty to do and see once you’re there, including:
- guided walks to some local petroglyphs
- learning some primitive skills, including flint-napping, pottery-making, and atlatl throwing
- American Indian dancers and drummers
- scientific lectures
- live wild animal displays
- traditional artists and music
- food vendors
- visitor information booths
I hope to see you at the ranch!
Can’t make it? Check out one of the other celebrations planned this year.
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Wow, thanks for this! I never even heard of the place, although I must have driven by when I toured the state. Maybe Clinton did something right after all!
Most folks don’t know about it, even though virtually everyone living in the state has driven right passed it on I-17. Clinton actually designated five new national monuments in Arizona to be managed by BLM: Agua Fria, Sonoran Desert, Ironwood Forest, Vermilion Cliffs, and Grand Canyon-Parashant. Most people know about Vermilion Cliffs, but not many know about those other places.
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