Tonto Natural Bridge
June 9, 2010 by taha
Inside the tunnel under the bridge
Just spent the weekend up in Payson camping with the kids and enjoying the somewhat cooler weather. One of the main activities we planned for our trip was a visit to the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. The park itself is located 12 miles north of Payson right off Highway 87. It is very easy to find. Due to state budget cuts, the park is currently open 5 days a week – Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) and is scheduled to close as of September 27th! Hopefully, a resolution (other than actually closing the park) can be found before September so we can continue to enjoy this beautiful area.
The natural bridge itself is thought to be the world’s largest natural travertine bridge. Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. The precipiation of the mineral springs forms a coating on nearby surfaces such as plants, roots, rocks, etc and forms very interesting formations including stalactites and stalagmites in limestone caves. Another great example of travertine forming over plants and roots are the Havasu Falls in the western part of the Grand Canyon on the Havasupai reservation. But, back to the Tonto Natural Bridge. The bridge itself sits 183 feet up above the ground. The tunnel below the bridge is 400 feet long and as wide as 150 feet in some places. Both the views from above and looking up from below are amazing!
Our favorite part of the trip was hiking down the Gowan Trail and entering the tunnel itself below the bridge. We spent quite a bit of time inside the tunnel climbing around and hiking to the other end. Some spots were a bit hazardous due to the slippery, wet surfaces. With that said, keep in mind that it is a lot easier to climb up some of these slippery slopes than it is to come back down them. So be sure to take a look at what you are contemplating climbing up and see if it is something you can manuever back down.
heading down some slickrock
In addition to the beautiful scenery the bridge provides, the other great thing about the tunnel is the cool air and refreshing water constantly dripping down from the ceiling above. It is a great way to cool off on a hot day!
Also, you are allowed to enter the water to swim as long as you are not within the tunnel. So as you come down the Gowan Trail, right before you step onto the man-made bridge that takes you to the entrance of the tunnel, veer off to the right and you can swim right there. The water is very refreshing (meaning down right cold) and there are quite a few little critters that the kids will enjoy looking for around the swimming hole. We found monster size crayfish (seriously, they looked like lobsters!), lots of fish and some interesting frogs. There’s also a large number of swallows that nest in the tunnel and many other colorful birds flying in and out of the area. So there is a lot to see. We spent the better part of our day enjoying the park and we look forward to going back up again later this summer before the park closes in September. For more information about the park visit the state park website and check out our photo gallery on our Facebook Fan page to see our photos from the trip.
Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary
June 1, 2010 by taha
If you are looking for something fun and educational to do with the kids over the summer, check out Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary in Scottsdale. It is a relatively new organization – a little over a year old located in a building in the Scottsdale Airpark. Their exact location is: 7701 E. Gray Road, Suite 6, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.
The organization is committed to the preservation, protection and rehabilitation of companion animals. As part of Phase One, the organization has established a sanctuary for domestic bunnies that have lost their home for one reason or another. The group offers a number of programs including adoption, spay/neuter services, community outreach, classroom presentations, pet parenting classes, education and collaborative partnerships with other like-minded organizations. What is really great (and this is the fun part for the kids) is you can visit their location and play with the bunnies!
The goal is to keep the bunnies accustomed to being handled and of course to make them feel loved! What child doesn’t enjoy petting and playing with a bunny rabbit? Also in addition to having the chance to interact with the animals up close, the kids will receive some great information from the staff about how to treat and care for the animals. You can also sign up as a volunteer and go through a short orientation on handling the bunnies and become part of a great group of animal lovers! Check out the Trainquility Trail website for more information.
For those of you wondering about what to do with a wild bunny you may find in your yard, check out the House Rabbit Society website. There is an abundance of information about what to do and what not to do with our wild furry friends. Probably one of the most important things to realize is if you find a baby bunnies in a nest, they have not necessarily been abandoned by their mother. Mother rabbits do not attend to their babies as many other mammals do. Did you know that rabbit moms only feed their young for about 5 minutes a day?! So don’t rush to relocate the baby bunnies as more than likely their mom will return in the evening to feed them. If you do happen to find a wild bunny that has obviously been injured or is in need of help, there are a number of people you can contact for guidance. A few of the organizations/individuals in the Phoenix area that you can contact include:
- Adobe Mountain 623-582-9806
- Ginny – Fountain Hills 480-816-9095
- Judy – Mesa 480-807-8355
- Regina – Queen Creek 480-987-3544
- Ruth – Paradise Valley 480-483-0130
- Liberty Wildlife 480-995-5550
These people specialize in the treatment/rehabilitation of wild animals and can be of great assistance to you. I hope you found this posting informative and I hope you find some time over the summer to visit the bunny sanctuary at Tranquility Trail in Scottsdale. If you know of any other fun/different things to do in the Phoenix area during the hot months of the summer, just send us a note and tell us about it!! We’d love to hear from you. You can post a comment here on the blog or just send us an email at info@takeahikearizona.com.
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