ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT Arizona
photos June 1970	clockwise from top left: view of desert wilderness from above Dripping Springs, Vermilion Flycatcher (at Quitobaquito; one of my first bird photos on 12  Jun 1970), Quitobaquito Springs, Senita Cactus near Mexican border
established 1937 administered by National Park Service	Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument protects a large swathe of hot Sonoran Desert along the Mexican border. It is remote so there are comparatively few visitors; it was my first destination on a lone car-camping trip when I was 18 years old. I took my first bird photos there at the campground and around the surprising Quitobaquito Springs. Also saw my first rare herp: Mexican Rosy Boa at Dripping Springs.

PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK Arizona
photos June 1970	clockwise from top left: Blue Mesa overlook, Old Faithful Log, portion of petroglyphs on "Newspaper Rock"
established as Nat'l Monument 1906 became National Park 1962 administered by National Park Service	Petrified Forest National Park includes multihued badlands of the Painted Desert and one of the world's largest concentrations of petrified wood. There are also prehistoric petroglyphs, archaeological sites, and 225 million-year-old fossils. On my only visit (June 1970) it was an overcast day, washing out the colors of the park. I recall that they gave me a piece of petrified wood on my entrance to the park in hopes this would encourage visitors not to collect any themselves. The visitor's center had several photos of Old Faithful Log — taken a decade apart — showing how the ground around the petrified log had slowly been denuded of all the petrified chips.

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK Arizona
photos June 1970	clockwise from top left: Saguaro Cactus blossom, saguaro forest (in west section of National Park; photo by my dad with me in orange shirt], Teddy Bear Cholla
established as Nat'l Monument 1933 became National Park 1994 administered by National Park Service	Saguaro National Park encompasses two sections of Saguaro Cactus dominated desert north and west of Tucson. When I first visited with my father in 1970, it was a National Monument. The National Park is now over 91,000 acres and includes peaks to 8000' elevation. The Saguaros are impressive  growing to 50 ft. high — and when I visited the north section was considered an "old, decaying" forest while the west section was a "vigorous, young" saguaro forest. I'd be curious to see how these differences are handled in today's ecology overviews....

SUNSET CRATER VOLCANIC NATIONAL MONUMENT Arizona
photos July 1970	clockwise from top left: view of San Francisco Peaks from top of Sunset Crater, self-portrait atop Sunset Crater (18 years old), and view of Sunset Crater from entrance road
established 1930 administered by National Park Service	Sunset Crater is a 1000' high cinder cone near Flagstaff. It last erupted in the winter of 1064-1065 but had been erupting before then for centuries. There is a hiking trail to the top. On the day of my visit in July 1970 there were afternoon thunder showers (the photo of the sign was taken during a downpour) but the view from on top was spectacular once the storm passed.

TUMACACORI NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK Arizona
photos June 1970	clockwise from top left: Tumacacori Mission view through archway, bapistry on rear side of mission, ruins of old Tubac Presidio
established as Nat'l Monument 1908 redesignated National Historical Park 1990 administered by National Park Service	Tumacacori was at the northernmost frontier of the Spanish colonial empire when it was established by Father Eusebio Francisco Kino in 1691. At first run by Jesuits, it was then taken over by the Franciscans who built the church preserved today. Ruins of the old Tubac Presidio are also on the grounds.

TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENT Arizona
photos July 1970	clockwise from top left: view of Tuzigoot ruin from distance near sunset, Tuzigoot Pueblo ruin
established 1939 administered by National Park Service	Tuzigoot is the remnant of a Sinaguan village built between 1125 and 1400. The two-story pueblo with watchtower atop had 77 ground-floor rooms. There is a natural pond below the ruin from which the silhouetted photo was taken. "Tuzigoot" is an Apache word for "crooked water." The site is right in the middle of Arizona.

WALNUT CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT Arizona
photos July 1970	clockwise from top left: view of Walnut Canyon; prehistoric ruin in canyon
established 1915 administered by National Park Service	Walnut Canyon was set aside to preserve cliff dwellings built under overhanging ledges by Pueblo Indians (the Sinagua) between 1100-1250 AD. They apparently moved here after the eruption of Sunset Crater created farmlands, and remained for 150 years. The canyon itself hosts an odd fix of Douglas-fir, walnut trees and cacti. There are over 100 small cliff dwellings in the canyon; the park trail lets the visitor explore 24 of them.

WUPATKI NATIONAL MONUMENT Arizona
photos July 1970	clockwise from top left: Lomaki Ruin, upper Wupatki Ruin
established 1924 administered by National Park Service	Wupatki National Monument, near Flagstaff, preserves the ruins of red sandstone pueblos built around 1100 by Anasazi people; they were inhabited until about 1225. The modern Hopi are partly descended from these people. There are scattered ruins of rather large pueblos; my 35 year-old-photos are losing color, so I changed the bottom one to 'black-and-white' in PhotoShop.

More National Parks, Monuments, Battlefields and Historic Sites are arranged geographically by these links:

PHOTOS: All photos on this page are © 2004 Don Roberson; all rights reserved.

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