Click the image to view the panorama.

The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument offers a glimpse of the homes and lives of the Indians who lived there from the 1280s through the early 1300s. The surroundings probably look today very much like they did when the cliff dwellings were inhabited. It is surrounded by the Gila National Forest and lies at the edge of the Gila Wilderness, the nation's first designated wilderness area.

Click the image to view the panorama.

A one mile-long trail leads across the west fork of the Gila River to the Gila Cliff Dwelling caves, which are about one hundred and fifty feet above the canyon floor. Walking through the ruins, it is not difficult to imagine this ancient culture going about its daily routine.

Click the image to view the panorama.

The Catwalk Trail follows the path of a pipeline built in the 1890s to deliver water to the mining town of Graham. Workmen who often entered the canyon by crawling atop the narrow pipeline named the route the "Catwalk." In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps rebuilt the Catwalk as a recreation area for the Gila National Forest. The Forest Service built the metal walkway in the 1960s. Parts of the trail have been rebuilt several times since then due to the flooding of Whitewater Creek.

Click the image to view the panorama.

Visitors will notice that the climate at the top of Cinnamon Pass resembles that of a tundra, with the harsh climate making it difficult for grasses and flowers to grow. The growing season is short and the environment is fragile atop this 12,620 ft. pass. From the pass, Handies, Redcloud, and Sunshine Peak can all be seen. All three of these peaks soar to heights just over 14,000 ft.

Click the image to view the panorama.

Once proudly proclaimed as one of the "Phoenix Points of Pride", neglect has taken it's toll on the park. The fountains are dry and the flags seldom fly. Bird droppings cover the stage floor in a thick, muculent coating. The stench of urine and human feces is pervasive, and sometimes overpowering, even on a cool November day.

Click the image to view the panorama.

Chihuahua Hill offers a commanding view of Bisbee and the defunct open pit copper mining operations to the south. In it's mining heyday, Bisbee was home to 20,000 people. Since the closure of the mines, Bisbee has evolved into an attractive artist colony, retirement community, and world-renowned tourist destination.

Click the image to view the panorama.

Engineer Pass Road is part of the Alpine Loop in the San Juan Mountains in Southwest Colorado. The pass is at 12,805 ft. in elevation, and it remains nice and cool even in the middle of summer!

Click the image to view the panorama.                  Special thanks Clayton Creekmore

Home to many of local broadcast radio and television stations transmitters and their antennas, Mount Suppoa is the highest point in South Mountain Park, towering over 1,000 feet above the valley floor.

Click the image to view the panorama.                 Special thanks Clayton Creekmore

At over 16,000 acres, South Mountain Park is the largest city park in the United States, and one of the largest urban parks in the world. Dobbins Lookout, at 2,330 feet, is a popular hiker's destination. Bicycling, picnicing, and horseback riding are all popular activities at the park.

Click the image to view the panorama.

Crown King is a former gold mining town located high in the Bradshaw Mountains just north of Phoenix. There were dozens of active gold mines and claims throught the surrounding mountains, the most notable being the Crown King Mine. It produced over $2,000,000 in gold alone. The mines have been closed since the 1950's, and now the town is a popular tourist destination, especially for Phoenicians needing an escape from the hot valley summers.

Click the image to view the panorama.

Fish Creek begins in about the center of the Superstition Mountains and flows generally northwest. After crossing the Apache Trail (photo), it drains into the Salt River just above Apache Lake. A popular hiking trail begins here and follows the creek back into the Superstitions.

Click the image to view the panorama.

Bumble Bee was born as a stage stop in the 1870's, serving the southern Bradshaw Mountains' mining camps, including Prescott, Gillette, and Tip Top. Henry Wickenburg lived here just prior to discovering the famous Vulture Mine. Bumble Bee has had an on-again, off-again existence ever since, leaning mostly toward off-again. In the late 1960's, a fake ghost town was erected in a vain attempt at establishing a tourist attraction. Today the fake ghost town is gone and Bumble Bee is little more than a wide spot in the road.