Water creates the greatest contrasts in Arizona, either present or not present. Anyplace there is water year round becomes a mecca for water-starved desert dwellers. Seven Springs, originally a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, is located in the Tonto National Forest. Yes, Arizona has rivers without water and forests without trees. To be fair, there are a lot of trees in the Tonto National Forest, at least in parts. My trips to Seven Springs started as a young Boy Scout camping in the wilds at the end of a long dirt road. There were very few facilities and almost no traffic.
In contrast, on a warm day in Phoenix, Seven Springs located 15 1/2 miles north of Carefree, can look like an outdoor mall in the holiday season, with a constant stream of traffic both directions on the still dirt road. There is a short perennial creek with a picnic site consisting of a few tables. There is also a pack-it-in/pack-it-out campground consisting of four tent sites. You may wish to check with the Tonto National Forest before trying to camp there as the reports indicate there is no camping from time to time.
As with many sites in the Tonto National Forest, it now has a daily fee. Recently, the campsites and tables have all been full every time we have visited, but on an off day, it would be a lovely place for a hike, suitable for toddlers if watched carefully up to challenging and long desert trails. The trails in the area link with Cave Creek and you can hike well over 20 miles if you care to do so
We used to find geodes in the area, but the geode beds appear to be long picked over.
No comments:
Post a Comment