The Towel Creek Ruins are in the Coconino National Forest south of Camp Verde, Arizona. To get there, drive east from Camp Verde on AZ-260 and turn right onto Fossil Creek. Follow the road for about 8.8 miles and find a place to park. The actual trailhead might be behind a locked gate so if need be continue past it, park, and hop the fence to get onto the official Towel Creek trail. (We’ve heard both that it was locked and that it was unlocked.) As you hike toward the Verde River you will come to Towel Tank around the 2.5 mile point and around the 5.7 - 6.5 mile point you will be across from the ruins which should be visible in the cliffs on the right. Either hike up to the ruins for a closer look or use your zoom lens to take photos and return the way you came. (Our waypoints are approximate and could be about a half mile off but there shouldn’t be any danger of missing the ruins).
Included with this post is the GPS file and map that we plan to use for our first visit. If you don't want to wait for us to get around to it feel free to try the GPS file and map for yourself. With no guarantee, of course, but they most often prove valuable for us.
Download GPS planning file:
