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Catalina State Park Romero Ruins

Hardy Site, Fort Lowell Park

Catalina State Park Romero Ruins

Hardy Site, Fort Lowell Park

We lived the majority of our lives in New Hampshire (the 44th largest state with a little under 9,000 square miles) and Vermont (the 43rd largest state with a little over 9,000 square miles). When we became permanent residents of Arizona (the sixth largest state with almost 114,000 square miles) we felt a bit overwhelmed. In this state, it was a very long drive from one edge of the map to the other.

For the first few months, we were sometimes hesitant to venture too far — flood warnings during the monsoon, cautions about driving on the slick roads in the rain, the precautions to be taken in a dust storm, ice on the roadways and snow in the higher elevations. We were familiar with ice and snow, but we had never heard of monsoon rains and dust storms. Nowadays, we still remain alert and cautious, but we have adapted to our beautiful, big state.

Last month, we had a flashback about being newcomers when a lady approached us in the grocery store. She stated that she loved our articles because she would include some of the places we mentioned on her “to do” list. She also shared with us that she had recently moved into the area and was hesitant to travel too far from home during the monsoon. We shared with her that we understood the feeling.

This article is for Mary, who wanted to know if we had seen any Native American sites close to Green Valley. These are some of the sites we have found in Pima and Cochise County. We have not included the Los Morteros Archeological site in Marana and the archeological dig site at the Sunset Road exit along Interstate 10, already described in previous articles.

Before we share with you some of the sites, we feel that we need to clarify the variety of the rock art we have discovered throughout Arizona. We have seen petroglyphs: images that are scratched on a rock surface; pictographs: images painted on a rock surface; and geoglyphs: images scratched onto the desert floor. We have included two types of rock art in this article.

Exploring Pima County, these are some of the Native American sites where we have explored:

Catalina State Park, north of Tucson, sits at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains, and can be accessed from Route 77. This state park offers many recreational opportunities including hiking, backpacking and equestrian trails. It also offers magnificent views of the Santa Catalina Mountains and the surrounding desert landscape. We visited this park in April 2013, and explored the area surrounding the Romero Ruins trail. This area contains the remains of one of several large Hohokam villages in the Tucson basin: a Pueblo believed to have been used between 1000-1450AD. We located partial walls of a ranch house, remains of the pueblo walls, areas outlined by rocks, and the remains of a ball court. This is a relaxing, quiet and beautiful place to spend some time.

Ironwood National Monument, 25 miles northwest of Tucson, can be accessed from Interstate 10 at Avra Road. This park was named after the longest living tree in the Arizona desert and offers visitors beautiful desert landscapes and breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Driving on the dirt road through the park, it was easy for us to imagine that we were the only visitors. This is a primitive park with abundant rock art at Cocoraque Butte, dozens of archeological sites, bighorn sheep, and a wide variety of spring wildflowers. At the Cocoraque Petroglyph Site, there are over 11,000 petroglyphs and the park contains several historical sites. We found that this huge park can be daunting — advanced planning, and a detailed map of the area, is highly recommended.

In June 2020, we were leaving the Tucson Mission Gardens on West Mission Lane and we accidentally discovered this historical site in a small clearing, at the base of "A" Mountain. We pulled up to an information sign and we were amazed! The sign stated: “S-Cuk Son: At the foot of the black mountain,” is the Tohono O’odham name for the area at the base of Sentinel Peak. Archeologists have uncovered evidence for villages extending back more than 4,000 years. On the sign, there is a picture of pit house remains.

In September 2018, we were strolling through Fort Lowell Park in Tucson. On that day, we discovered the Hardy Site that contains the prehistoric remains of a Hohokam village dated 950-1150AD. This historic site, near the Rillito River, is in an area surrounded by mesquite trees. On that day, we located outlines of prehistoric structures and several information panels describing the Hohokam lifestyle.

Picture Rocks Petroglyph Site, on Picture Rocks Road in Tucson, can be accessed via a short trail from the Redemptorist Renewal Center. The center requests that visitors sign in at the office, but explorers are invited to view the rock art. These petroglyphs are believed to be Hohokam and are dated from 800-350AD. We visited the site in January 2013, and explored the cliffs and surrounding area. We located hundreds of figures: large circles, stick figures, bighorn sheep and geometric designs. This is an easy site to view communication from an ancient civilization.

Presumido Canyon Ruins, tucked away in a valley of the Baboquivari Mountains, are near the town of Sasabe. The ruins are accessed via a narrow dirt road through the mountains and is a great adventure. In June 2017, we visited this remote site that was reportedly a house, a store and a stage stop. We located many remains at this site: intact stone walls, semi-intact adobe buildings, wooden planks, pieces of metal roofing, corrals, and remains of a concrete dam across the creek. There were numerous structures, all in different stages of decay. At this site, we also located several areas of rock art on the cliffs along the creek. This is a place where it is easy to imagine what it looked like many years ago. A harsh, but beautiful, location. For those interested in visiting these ruins, contact Rancho de la Osa in Sasabe; they offer ATV tours to the site.

Saguaro National Park West, on North Kinney Road, is one of our favorite National Parks. We love bringing family and friends to the visitor center to view the introductory video. Every year, the blooming of the Saguaro cactus is a big event and a tour around the park is a treat. We also love to chase wildflowers alongside the dirt roads that meander through the desert. For those who love well-preserved rock art, a walk to the top of Signal Hill is truly rewarding. The top of this rocky hill, which contains several well-preserved petroglyphs, is a magnet for photographers. We have seen this picture in brochures, magazines and tourist ads. Bring your camera to this spot!

In March 2019, as part of an Old Pueblo archeology tour, we visited the Vista del Rio Cultural Resource Park in Tucson at Tanque Verde and Dos Hombres. This four-acre park is surrounded by a residential subdivision and contains a picnic area, sitting areas and a walking path. Its function, however, is to preserve the remains of a large, prehistoric Hohokam Village believed to have been inhabited between 950-1150AD. On the tour, we walked around the park, spotted some pottery sherds and found some cutting tools. We read the information panels containing pictures and details about the Hohokam way of life. On one of the panels, we found this paragraph: “All aspects of the design of this park, from the location of the picnic area to the placement of landscape plants, were arranged to preserve the details about the past residents of this site…” An interesting and educational site.

For those who want a longer adventure, here are some of the sites we have located in Cochise county:

Milville, listed as an Arizona ghost town, is along East Charleston Road, across the San Pedro River from Charleston. This mining community, near Sierra Vista, ceased all operations after the Tombstone mines flooded and closed. This town is easily accessed via a two-mile dirt trail that winds through the remains. During our exploration of the site, we found cement slabs, a metal barrel, sheets of metal, partial stone walls, stone foundations, tailings, and rusty metal cans. At the end of the trail, along the dry river bed, we located a section of rocks with several petroglyphs. They were easily viewed and photographed.

Garden Canyon, on the Fort Huachuca Military Installation in Sierra Vista, is known for its rock art listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During one of our visits to the fort, we headed to the canyon to explore. When we arrived at the kiosk in the picnic area we were pleasantly surprised. In this canyon, there are Hohokam and Apache pictographs. This was our first occasion to see Apache rock art. The road into the canyon was a well-maintained, dirt road and it rose quickly as it headed up the canyon. About a mile from the picnic area, we found a sign for the pictographs site. We walked up the path, amidst hundreds of yellow Columbines, and there they were! On the roof of the cave, there was a beautiful white dove painted by the Apache. Harder to see, there were several red paintings left by the Hohokam (known as the Ancient Ones). What a thrill!

Amerind Museum, a Spanish colonial revival-style building, stands proudly amongst the beautiful and unique rocks of Texas Canyon. The Amerind Foundation began in 1937 with a focus on archeological research. In 1985, the museum opened to the public and exhibits a large number of artifacts of Indian tribes ranging from Alaska to South America. The artifacts and information are well-displayed. Guests soon discover that being in Texas Canyon can be a refreshing and enchanting change from the desert environment. For those who wish to linger near the museum, there is an area with picnic tables and restrooms. It is a magical environment to visit and wander. On one of our visits, we spotted a hole in one of the rocks: those mortar holes, also known as grinding holes were used by Native Americans to ground acorns and/or seeds into meal. These cup-shaped depressions in stones are often easily located and it is always a treat to find some.

These are a small portion of the Native American sites we have explored. In future articles, we will share many others that we have located throughout the state. In the meantime, have a great time exploring and enjoying.

Travels with Two Sisters is a series of Arizona adventures with Green Valley residents Marie “Midge” Lemay and Suzanne “Sue” Poirier. For more discoveries, check out their books: “One Mile at a Time,” “A Gypsy in Our Souls,” “Connecting Dots,” and their latest, “We Don't Mind if You Come Along.”

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