Round Trip Distance: 1.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 3576 - 3631 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Bull Tank
Fee: none
Attractions: pueblo ruins
Bull Tank is located in the Agua Fria National Monument northeast of Black Canyon City, Arizona. Found at the site is a small ruin with a defensive wall that sits on the north rim of Baby Canyon overlooking Bishop Creek. Also evident at the site are farming fields and a ceremonial racetrack.
To get there take I-17 Exit 259 and follow the Bloody Basin Road for 7.8 miles to an unnamed road on the right.
A short distance down this side road there is a brown mylar marker designating it as an administrative road with no vehicle access. At this point there is a turn around that serves as a good trailhead.
There isn't a designated trail to follow but cutting across the mesa toward the canyon using a distant clump of trees as a guide will take you in the general direction.
Be aware that you might come across a snake in the grass. As you can see this one was well hidden. After spending a week traipsing all over the monuments mesas and canyons this is only the second one that we saw.
After passing the clump of trees you will drop down a little onto the ceremonial racetrack.
From the racetrack you might be able to spot a rock wall on a small hump near the rim of the canyon. Stay to the left on the high ground as you hike in that direction and you should come to an easy spot where you can cross the sagging wires of a barbwire fence.
As you approach the ruins after crossing the fence you will next encounter a rather high rock wall. This can easily be gotten over by walking along it until you come to a low spot in the wall toward its west end.
The main part of the ruins are a couple of large rooms.
Surprisingly if you walk around the enclosed area you can find the remains of even more rooms. It's hard to tell whether the rooms were all inner connected at one time but it doesn't seem so.
Across the canyon to the right Baby Canyon Fort is visible.
And almost directly across the canyon the Baby Canyon Pueblo can be spotted.
