agua fria national monument

Aqua Fria is listed as a national monument between Phoenix and Flagstaff. Be aware that you should not attempt visiting the site without four-wheel drive. If it looks at all like rain, do not enter the site because you will be trapped by flash-floods across the poor road into the site. Phone communication with the outside world is not to be expected. This place should have a warning as you enter. You can see just as much as Saquaro National Monument without the threats.

Took the grandkids out there yesterday for a day hike. Three kids, three adults divvied up one for one. The trailhead off a dirt road and parking lot five minutes from the I-17 exit for Badger Springs.We've never been to this one before and the weather was mild and just right not to break a sweat too easily. Mostly a gradual descent for about twenty minutes at a steady pace to the creek which was not flowing and somewhat sparse but very, very rock hewn. Pretty ragged/jagged rocks that make for interesting pictures/video.A couple of rustic trails on either side of the creek that ascend upward on mostly these rocks with no dirt or gravel where we saw water flowing in a bit more than a trickle this time of year.What is additionally interesting are the petroglyphs from ancient native tribes/cliff dwellers similar to the ones you see at Montezuma's Castle and Well as well as the ones in the Apache/Sitgreaves National Forest N.E. of the Payson area near Heber,AZ.Nicely detailed glyphs of local wildlife and people. Some of these scattered on various locations over a considerable area and you find yourself following them to where you can lose track of time and how far up you actually are. Lots of photo/vid ops in all directions.Happened by some potential tent camp sites where night camping would be wonderful by the creek on a dark but starry night. Moonlit nights would be nice here too.Recommend it for day or night hiking jaunts with some interesting wildlife though we only saw birds and no Havelina, Coyotes or Jackrabbits etc.It could be a challenge in the so called monsoon season here where dry washes can become a sudden danger for flash floods. Just a word of caution against a natural hazard, if there is one that's typical for Arizona. Interesting area though that offers a lot of opportunities to be creative while being cautious, definitely.

I've been here five times and going again this weekend. I love this place without water and with water, It's a easy, level hike and the payoff is worth it! It's not a very busy or well known site so you may not even cross paths with people on your way. Once you get there you will see some petroglyphs on the rock face to your left. (PLEASE DONT TOUCH THEM) when it's running with water it's beautiful to just sit and dip your feet into the cold river and sit and just think about. I'd recommend this to anyone :)

Wasn't quite sure what we'd find there, but we were returning to Phoenix from Montezuma Castle and Well, so we stopped by in our little rental car. Luckily the ground was dry so we could bump our way around on some of the dirt roads, but saw little point in stopping except to find a place to turn around and head back. Would be tricky if ground had been wet and muddy. We couldn't find much information about it (didn't have access to Trip Advisor), I can't hike, so we just left.

We visited during our spring break rode trip. It was a great remote hike. We hiked down badger springs and drove down the bloody basin trail. My kids saw quail, birds, lizards and enjoyed the hike. We did not get to see the archeological site because we could not make it down the road the full way. We even saw mountain lion tracks. However if you are trying to earn your junior ranger badges, you must take it to Phoenix or mail it. The office in black canyon city was not open. At least when we were there.

This was a great short hike down a wash to the main river. The trail is about 2 miles of dirt road away from an I-17 turn-off. The dirt road requires slow travel, but is easily traveled even in a low clearance vehicle. The hike is a great way to quickly get to isolated desert scenery without having to travel for hours to get there. There were dozens of different variety of birds visible during our winter trip there.

I did a day hike with my dog along the Agua Fria River from Badger Springs Trailhead in the Agua Fria National Monument. This hike was a great spring hike, an easy trip from Phoenix to remote hiking. A short hike down to the river, followed by a near canyon filled with granite boulders that contrasted nicely with the surrounding landscape. It was a relatively easy, but fun, excursion for the dog and myself to get away and enjoy a river in a desert.Also, we drove the entire way through the national monument, near the ruins that are scattered in the area and give the monument its status. Interesting landscape with very picturesque views. Not a bad day trip up from Phoenix, but not for passenger cars on the dirt roads through the area after the first few miles.

Das Agua Fria National Monument liegt zwischen Phoenix und Sedona direkt an der Interstate 17. Wir sind den Badgewater Spring Trail (Ausfahrt 256, danach 1 km auf einer unbefestigten Straße bis zum Trailhead) gewandert. Von hier geht es zu Fuß rund 40 Minuten bergab zum Creek. Dort erwartet einen ein kleiner Fluß mit kühlem Wasser zum Erfrischen oder sogar Baden. Hier zu verweilen, wo kaum jemand vorbeikommt, ist wirklich toll. Die Felswände sind zudem übersät mit Petroglyphen aus frühzeitlichen Indianerzeiten. Die Zeit für diesen Trail sollte man sich wirklich nehmen.