Yavapai County Trips   

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Reserve at least two weeks in advance. 

Perry Mesa, in Agua Fria National Monument, was heavily occupied by prehistoric people some 700 years ago. There are significant abandoned village sites all across the mesa. One of the largest of these, and one of the least visited, is Baby Canyon Ruin, several hundred rooms perched on a butte on the south side of Baby Canyon, a little over a mile from the Agua Fria River. We’ll visit this site while talking about the prehistory of the area, and a bit of geology and ecology. The hike is about 6 miles total, largely off trail, and includes a nearly 400-foot steep elevation gain at the end to reach the ruin. The footing on the climb is very stable and not hand and foothold climbing, just steep hiking, but a lot of work. Activity Rating: 5.

Tuition includes transportation, box lunch and field instruction. Departs 8:00AM from Prescott Campus.

*Cordes Junction pickup available around 8:30am. 

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This back road exploration will take you from Jerome along the old narrow gauge railroad bed that once led to Chino Valley (formerly known as Jerome Junction), then down to the Verde River at Perkinsville.  From there, we’ll head across to Drake, just off Highway 89 north of Chino Valley.  From Drake we’ll skirt around Prescott and Prescott Valley and back to campus via Mingus Mountain.  Along the way we’ll talk about geology, natural history, the Verde River, the Perkins Ranch, the old railroad, and the mines of Jerome.  Lots of short walks but no serious hiking. Activity Rating: 2. 

Tuition includes ground transportation, box lunch and field instruction.

Departs 8:00AM from Verde Valley Campus. 

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Reserve at least two weeks in advance.

The headwaters of the Verde River, just northeast of Chino Valley, is a fascinating area. The springs there are the source of the only perennial river flowing entirely within Arizona. We will hike some distance along the rim and enter the canyon about a mile downstream from the confluence with Granite Creek, hiking upstream to the headwaters springs and a large and little-known rock art site which incorporates both Hopi and Yavapai winter solstice observatory features. We will discuss geology, natural history and prehistory along the way. Total hiking distance about four miles. The climb out, several hundred feet elevation gain, is steep and rocky. We will ford the river once, 12-18 inches deep; suitable barefoot or light water shoe/sandal wading. Activity Rating: 3.

Tuition includes transportation, box lunch and field instruction. Departs 8AM from Prescott Campus.

View Refund/Cancellation Policy.