A place name doesn’t always tell you where it is, and can be misleading. You would think Havasu Wildlife Refuge would be near Lake Havasu, but we found it in Topock, about 40 miles northwest of the lake and city. Bill Williams River Wildlife Refuge sounds like it should be near the town of Williams, but it’s even farther from there than the Havasu Wildlife Refuge example — it’s in Parker, about 20 miles south of Lake Havasu.
Don’t let these names throw you because bird and wildlife lovers, as well as naturalists, will love both these places. The Havasu Wildlife Refuge can be tricky to find: Google recommended one route that didn’t go through, and the first sign told us to go another way. The sign leading into Lake Havasu Wildlife Refuge is off the road and can only be seen from a certain angle, so we missed it a couple of times before we found it.
There’s not much of a hiking trail here, but there are views of the marsh and you can walk for some distance along it. The refuge hosts 318 species of birds, and it took us just minutes to spot a beautiful white egret. Coyotes, foxes and bobcats live in Havasu Wildlife Refuge, with some bighorn sheep in its higher reaches.
This area offers much more in terms of hiking trails. The trails are open seven days a week, but you park by an office that’s only open Monday-Thursday. You can head north and hike several miles along or near the shore of Bill Williams River, a tributary of the Colorado River. If you head south from the parking lot, the trail is only about a mile long, but it offers many interpretive signs about the birds and animals along with plenty of benches. There’s a tortoise enclosure a couple minutes from the office, but the tortoise didn’t come out while we were there.
The northwestern part of the state does not get as much hiking attention as Flagstaff to the north, Mt. Baldy to the east or Mt. Lemmon to the south, but it does have some entertaining trails that hikers can use to warm up during the cold winter.
Another trail we took while in the area was the 4.5-mile round trip from Lake Havasu State Park to London Bridge, hugging the lakeshore. Few people take this route because is ends in the tourist area. I noticed two points along the trek that stood out.
First was a cactus garden with interpretive signs explaining everything from the Pygmy Palm Tree to various cacti and other flora in this terrain, which is at sea level. A beautifully painted mural with owls featured wasn’t just for pretty; the site is home to Western burrowing owls, which eat rodents and scorpions.
The second point of interest was a replica of the historic Cape Henry lighthouse at the southern tip of Chesapeake Bay, in Virginia, that was built in 1881 and stood 157 feet ball. The replica stands about ten feet tall and was built in 2017 to provide some history along with light to help guide boaters.
Those looking for a more local hike can urn to the Highline Trail in Sedona. Like most Sedona hikes, the parking lot fills up quickly, so get there relatively early. The scenery is great, but don’t look for a lot of quiet here: air tours and other planes keep the skies buzzing. Aside from hikers, tons of bikers use this trail. Most are courteous, but some whiz by so fast it can feel dangerous. The trail takes trekkers by famed Cathedral Rock. For me the highlight is where it dips down into Oak Creek. The cascading waters and boulders that dot the banks make it magnificent. Going in February meant it was too cold for a dip, but folks were enjoying picnicking and fishing. One huge tree along the bank was the perfect stop for a snack or lunch.
The Highline Trail is a seven-mile moderate hike that climbs about 800 feet, and the uphills can be rocky. Some of us older hikers went up slowly, watching our steps so as not to trip. Then a thirtysomething bopped up the hill like it was nothing, reminding me that the rating of a hike can vary widely by the hiker.
To get there start from the Yavapai Vista trailhead for Hermit Trail, head north, take a left onto the Templeton Trail, follow it all the way around Cathedral Rock and down to the creek, turn left onto the Baldwin trail, then left again onto the Highline Trail. That will take you up over the Cathedral saddle and back down nearly to the parking lot, from where you can take a left on the Slim Shady Trail, then right to the Kaibab Trail to reach the parking lot, or just bushwhack to the Kaibab Trail to the parking lot.
These were all places I hadn’t been previously, reminding me of the great variety that Arizona offers us hikers.
Stan Bindell is always looking for a good hike. If you have one, contact him at thebluesmagician@gmail. com
