Bushnell Tanks is the name used for an area along Sycamore Creek, near Sunflower, Arizona. Access to the area has been from dirt roads off off of Highway 87, commonly known as the Beeline Highway. I have camped in this area off and on since I was a 12 year old Boy Scout. The area just off the road has been extremely impacted by off road vehicles and despite the heroic efforts of the Tonto National Forest, the area is usually fairly trashed. A few years ago, the Beeline was improved from a twisty two to four lane highway into a four lane divided freeway-like highway along its entire length to Payson, Arizona, as a result, access to the area became somewhat limited and the whole area has been closed by the Forest Service for some time. The last time I drove by, (just this week) the gate was still closed.
Bushnell is roughly a half hour or so from the edge of Mesa. At the point where the Sycamore Creek crosses the highway, there is a sizable grove of old growth sycamore trees. The creek runs during the Spring and into the Summer, but there are springs in the area and during the late summer it is still possible to find some water. The attraction of accessibility, shade and water make the area irresistible. It is not unusual to have hundreds of people camped over a weekend.
Like all intermittent streams in Arizona, if there is enough rain Sycamore Creek can become a deadly raging torrent. Some years ago a group of Boy Scouts camped at Bushnell stalled in a car in the middle of the creek during a flash flood and some of the Scouts were killed. The surrounding hills have also been the site of several brush fires in the last few years, almost completely changing the aspect of the area from when I was very young. Statements made by the Forest Service personnel seem to indicate that the fire damage is the cause of the closure.
The area is especially attractive in early Fall when the leaves turn and the colors are gorgeous. With the closure of Bushnell, there are hardly any areas left, near the Salt River Valley, where there is access to water and where a group can camp.
One Fall my creative writing class @ Chaparral H.S. in 1973 sought Sycamore Creek in a field trip intended to inspire us to write beautiful poetry. Instead, I sat down on some rocks by the stream (running!) and drew a pencil drawing that still hangs in my house today.
ReplyDeleteThe other kids were too busy running around exploring the area as no one else was in sight. It was utterly beautiful, especially the contrast of the white sycamore tree trunks, their yellowing, broad leaves and the darker shadows of the shrubs and hills beyond. The teachers seemed disappointed we didn't produce poetry, but the thrill on our faces (back in the day when marijuana clouds were a visibly looming fixture over our lunch area on campus) affirmed it was not a lost cause. It had been a very long time for some of those kids to visit nature in full control of their faculties. They responded with spontaneous joy like little kids, instead of the brooding, angry, slouching teens they were before getting off the bus.
This is the first time I've ever heard anyone mention it. Great post once again!
I have been here as well just this last weekend. There are some amazing trees in this area. Cottonwood, Willow, Sycamore, Mesquite. Its pretty impressive. One of the trees has a 10ft diameter. Its unfortunate that its still closed to camping. To be honest with all the rain we have had the road is mostly gone. There are sections of more than 100 yards that have simply been scoured away. It won't be opening again any time soon (if at all). Fortunately they have made an area where you can still walk in and enjoy it. Maybe it will have some time to repair itself as the over-usage seems to have really affected some of the trees.
ReplyDeleteThe area remains closed, essentially because of previous fire damage and several deaths due to flash flooding in the area (flooding caused by the previous fire damage). There is still ranching throughout the area, further contributing to erosion and to river contamination with cow feces.
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