EAGLETAIL WILDERNESS, ARIZONA
The US Congress designated The Eagletail Wilderness in 1990 and it is now part of the 109 million acre Natural Wilderness Preservation System which provides clean air, water and habitat critical for rare and endangered plants and animals. This wilderness area is 75 miles west of Phoenix just south of interstate 10. I was surprised how quiet and remote it felt due to its close proximity to Phoenix. Dave Pence, Zarita and I did not see any other hikers the entire afternoon. We stayed for night shots and I was amazed that we could see the stars and the milky way. There are striking rock formations and the most notable is Courthouse Rock which is a granite monolith that stands over 1000 feet above the desert floor. Petroglyphs hint of gatherings of the ancient Hohokam and the great horned owl and coyote call the area home.
