Round Trip Distance: 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 4946 - 5101 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Pipe Spring National Monument
Fee: $10/person 15 yrs. plus
Attractions: Outdoor museum, petroglyphs
Pipe Spring National Monument is about 13.5 miles west of Fredonia, Arizona on AZ-389. Besides the Monument's main attraction, which is Winsor Castle, there is a half mile loop hike that passes some very faint petroglyphs.
For turn-by-turn directions enter 'Pipe Spring National Monument' into your driving app. If coming from Colorado City it will be 18.6 miles east on AZ-389 to the turnoff. From Fredonia it will be 13.7 miles west on AZ-389.
From the Visitor Center there is a paved trail that leads to the spring.
Along the way there is a static display of a brush shelter and several wikiups which were tent shaped structures that some Native peoples used as habitats before the Spanish introduced horses onto the continent. At that time most wikiups were replaced by the larger teepees.
Also on display are different types of authentic pioneer wagons, farm implements, and miscellaneous items like wooden barrels.
The largest pioneer building at the Monument is Winsor Castle.
Behind Winsor Castle is the start of the half mile long Ridge Trail.
The Ridge Trail is an interpretive trail that gently climbs up to the top of the mesa overlooking Pipe Spring before looping back down to the Castle.
Near one of the switchbacks the trial passes some faint petroglyphs that include a deer or bighorn sheep and lines that look like a map.
This part of the trail with its improvements is a fun part of the hike.
One of the best aspects of the Ridge Trail, besides its expansive vistas, are the signs that identify the various plants and bushes. The signs provide both the Paiute name and the common name for the plant and describe how it was used by the Paiutes.
After the short hike you might enjoy resting in the shade beside the peaceful pools that receive the never failing waters of Pipe Spring.
