Written By: Margaret Kosiba
There are so many reasons why it is a good idea to occasionally camp close to home:
- Camping longer days, using less fuel, and reducing the driving portion of trip.
- Enjoying so many interesting places right in your very own backyard (within 50 miles from home).
- Being able to test the van after taking it out of the storage and before taking a longer trip.
- Relaxing in the middle of the week to rest and recalibrate, or over a long weekend.
- Supporting the local economy
- Re-connecting with your better half for a few days and planning for the future
Since I am fairly new to the state of Arizona, I pulled out my map and set up my 50-mile perimeter from home (Arizona Map). I had heard so much about Dead Horse Ranch State Park, so my goal was to camp there and see Tuzigoot National Monument, Montezuma’s Castle and Well, and drive through small towns like Jerome, Cottonwood, and Clarkville. I drove first through the Prescott National Forest with 15-20mph winding switchbacks, but it was fun!
What a pleasant and delightful surprise this trip was. All of this was located within 38 miles of my home. I used only six gallons of fuel, learned so much history about the Sinaguan Indian lifestyle, and wildlife in the area did not disappoint. I challenge you to camp within 50 miles of your home and enjoy a delightful change of pace!
Jerome, Arizona: I drove through Jerome, a quaint, former mining town that deserves an entire day or more to see. From the 1880’s to the 1950’s, this mining town produced copper, silver and gold along with many ghost stories (ergo, Jerome Ghost Tours). The Jerome Grand Hotel, The Douglas Mansion, and many art galleries and old saloons await our attention. I’ve heard from locals that having a hamburger at the famous “Haunted Hamburger” restaurant is a must, but there are many excellent restaurants here. RV parking is a challenge, but you will find FREE RV parking just past the Fire Station. Wear comfortable shoes for the up and downhill walking. Beware, the streets are very narrow and hilly!
Dead Horse Ranch State Park (DHRSP): I will definitely return to this awesome 423-acre park in the Coconino National Forest. Three days were not nearly enough time to enjoy canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, and hiking along the Verde River or hiking more than 10 trails within this park! The campsites are super large and comfortable, surrounded by trees. And it was quiet!!
The Canopy Trail was delightful. Walking among the expansive, towering, native Fremont cottonwood trees, accompanied by birds of many kinds was so restful and rewarding. Although difficult to photograph, the Gila woodpeckers were a first for me. But photographing one flying and one pecking in the same photo made my day! I met fellow birders here who visit regularly from Flagstaff.
According to the DHRSP, “the canopy provides shelter for nesting birds and the Verde River corridor is one of the richest birding habitats in the United States. The 180-mile long Verde River is a significant resource in the state of Arizona. It is one of the desert’s last free flowing rivers sustaining a large regional wildlife population and a lush riparian community.” So many campers were bicycling and walking around the West, Middle, and East Lagoons in this campground. What a treat! Bring your telephoto lenses to truly capture the waterfowl and bird life in this area! Kayaks and canoes are allowed on these lagoons. Pictures of heron and duck.
Seeing Montezuma’s Castle and Montezuma’s Well were so easy and relaxing. The rangers were superb and extremely knowledgeable, not to mention the many volunteers working in these areas. Southern Sinagua farmers built this five-story, 20-room cliff dwelling between 1100 and 1300. Access to each level was via rope ladders. No one has been allowed to climb up to see this dwelling since 1951 for the purpose of preservation. Another site very close by used to be a five-story cliff dwelling with about 45 rooms. The Visitor Centre holds a treasure trove of historic information that is a must stop.
My favorite features at both the Castle and Well were the documentary signs about many plants used by the Sinaguan people. This reminded me how wasteful our society has become in comparison to the Sineguan culture. The Mormon Tea plant is just one example. A few others included these plants:
- Cliffrose: used as a cough suppressant, poultice for wounds, a padding for cradle boards.
- Creosote Bush: treated infections, toothaches, dandruff, colds, body odor, nausea, chicken pox, and sprains.
- Netleaf Hackberry: treated indigestion; bark used for sandals; leaves and bark used for dark brown and red dye.
- One Seed Juniper: berries were food for animals and humans; wood for roof beams, fence posts, and torches; the Hopi boiled branches for stomach ailments; treated pneumonia and indigestion. Too many berries provided a laxative effect.
- Agave: when properly prepared, the heart, leaves, sap, seeds, and stems were all edible.
- Velvet Mesquite (Forest Flour Tree): Seeds and pods were ground up and used as a staple protein; sap was used for candy; resins were used as adhesive; provided medicant for eye and skin ailments as well as the common cold.
- Beargrass: Used to weave durable rope, baskets, and water repellant roof thatching. The stalks could be eaten after roasting made them sweet and sticky.
Montezuma Well: The site of another cliff dwelling on a smaller scale (see photos of Montezuma Well and the dwelling) was inspirational. Legends indicate that anything dropped into this well would come back up. Diver researchers tried to put monitoring equipment about 55 feet below the surface only to find that all the equipment came back up to the surface. At this level fine sand boils up in swirling, cascading mounds per the National Park Service (NPS) documentary, creating an artificial bottom. (See Photo of Sign). Apparently 1.2 million gallons of water enter this well another 65 feet further down through two vents, even during drought years. The water temperature stays close to 74 degrees at all times. Endemic leech, amphipod, snail, diatom, and water scorpion species exist in this well and nowhere else on earth per the NPS. The walk to and around the well is filled with historical information, and the desert topography was enchanting. The rangers were phenomenal. The Montezuma Well is considered a sacred space, a place to connect with ancestors. It was brought under the protection, management, and stewardship of the NPS in 1947. Oral tradition tells of the spirit of a great water serpent that still lives there today.
Tuzigoot National Monument: Within a few miles of Dead Horse Ranch State Park is the Tuzigoot National Monument. Parking here was easy. A visit at the Tuzigoot Museum is a must to see samples of red-on-buff pottery and to understand the complete history of the Sinaguan culture. See photos of inside the museum. This Southern Sinaguan village (pueblo) was built between 1000 and 1400. It rises about 120 feet above the Verde Valley. These farmers grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton. The original pueblo apparently was two stories high with 87 ground-floor rooms. The residents entered by climbing up rope ladders into roof-top openings. They lived on the hilltop, thus reserving flatter land for agricultural purposes. A short, easy walk in the opposite direction to the Tavasci Marsh offered a true glimpse of high desert topography with Hedgehog cacti and desert lizards, all surviving beautifully in this environment. (Photos of Cacti and Lizards).
Sedona, Arizona: Although within my 50-mile radius for camping near my home, Sedona requires at least one full week to enjoy Oak Creek Canyon, the many red rock hikes, jeep tours, Tlaquepaque arts and shopping, the Chapel of the Holy Cross built in red rock, and so many other awesome things to do. That will be another camping trip close to home!
This three-day camping excursion close to home was indeed a delightful change from my usual 2-3 month trips. However, I will now complete preparations for my almost 3-month trip to Canada and Alaska this summer. Variety is still the spice of life!
Everyone, enjoy your Pleasure-Way vans, and make every day a captivating camping day!