BACK ROAD ADVENTURE

Trek from Ancient Coral Sand Dunes to a Riparian Shangri-la East of Parker

In the nearly rainless desert of western Arizona, where rivers are made of sand, lives the legend of the frog who never learned to swim. Dreaming of downpours and thunderstorms, the frog carried a canteen across the arid sand dunes, hoping to find an oasis. He dreamed of a water hole where he could float and croak to his heart's delight. The determined amphibian would never have made it across the waterless crescent dunes of the Cactus Plain. If he had, he would have found his Shangri-la on the Bill Williams River.

Unlike the frog, who searched for water on foot, today's desert adventurers can easily find their way by auto across the coral dunes to this idyllic riverside oasis of cottonwoods, willows, and beaver ponds.

The journey into the dunes begins at Bouse, a desert village on State Route 72, approximately three hours northwest of Phoenix. Bouse, a prosperous turn-of-the-century mining town, is remembered today as one of the sites of Gen. George Patton's secret World War II tank training grounds. Our back road odyssey begins just beyond a monument to Patton's tankers. After stopping at the monument (the flagpole and oversize American flag cannot be missed), drive west a short block on State 72 to Main Street and turn right. After .2 of a mile, turn left onto Rayder Road, which, after a mile of pavement, becomes Swansea Road, a well-graded dirt track.

About five and a half miles along Swansea Road, the creosote desert gives way to the blush coral dunes of the Cactus Plain Wilderness Study Area. The crescent-shaped dunes, remnants of an ancient sea, undulate across the horizon, changing color and shape as clouds cross the sun. Just across the CAP canal, a Bureau of Land Management kiosk acquaints visitors with the ecology of the desert and the East Cactus Plain Wilderness. As you hike into the dunes, the silence of the sands quickly envelops everything, and you wonder at the plants and animals that not only survive but thrive on this waterless plain.

Unlike the sand dunes of the Sahara, which constantly shift in the wind, the dunes of the Cactus Plain stand nearly motionless. Stabilized over millenniums, the sloped knolls of ancient coral brim with paloverdes, mesquites, ironwoods, chollas, saguaros, ocotillos, and wildflowers. The rich flora of the dunes provides shelter and sustenance for large and small animals alike, including coyotes, kit foxes, antelopes, squirrels, and kangaroo rats.

Bird-watchers find the area rich with migratory neotropicals, such as phainopeplas and vermilion flycatchers, as well as native species, including red-tailed hawks, elf owls, cactus wrens, roadrunners, and Gambel quail. A glimpse of the rare golden eagle could be an added treat.

Lower on the food chain, but as much at home in the dunes, lives a diverse group of snakes, lizards, spiders, scorpions, and insects. Among the creepies and crawlies prowl the venomous sidewinder rattlesnake and the giant desert centipede.

After you hike awhile on the dunes, your thirst reminds you of the importance of water in the desert. Your throat tightens and your eyes scan the horizon, searching for signs of water. This is as much so today as it was for the native peoples who lived off this desert for centuries. The prospect of an oasis at the end of the road keeps you moving on. Five miles past the first kiosk, you pass Midway, a major intersection on the Cactus Plain. Bear left, and follow Swansea Road toward Mineral Wash. Here the road becomes the eastern boundary of the East Cactus Plain Wilderness, the second Wilderness and study area that can be visited en route to your final destination along the Bill Williams River. As you head northwest through the desert, the land dips and turns into a forest of teddy bear chollas. Saguaros dot the hillsides.

(LEFT) The eroded sand formations between the Bill Williams River and Parker stir the imagination, prompting travelers to park and explore on foot.

(RIGHT) A lush oasis awaits travelers at the end of the road to the Bill Williams River.

A little more than two miles from Midway, a nameless dry wash crosses Swansea Road, providing evidence of the winter rains that annually regenerate the parched landscape. Hike down into the wash and confront the giant saguaro that lives off the underground waters of the arroyo. At the foot of this 35-foot sentinel, fragile patches of moss, lichen, and cryptogamic soil survive as a testament to the determination of life on the Cactus Plain, no matter how tiny or fragile the ecosystem.

Six miles later, Swansea Road forks at the most isolated fourway stop in the state. Go straight ahead on the Swansea cutoff road to reach the river refuge. (A right turn leads to the popular ghost town of Swansea; a left turn leads to Parker.) The road narrows, following a graveled wash through the foothills of the Buckskin Mountains. A landscape of wildflowers and small forests of ironwood trees grow on both sides of the road. Barrel cactuses cling to the hillsides.

After five more miles of desert with the Hualapai and Mohave mountains forming a dramatic backdrop, travelers intent on reaching the river should stay left as the Swansea cutoff road forks again. A right turn leads to the ruins of the Planet Mine on the Planet Ranch. The Swansea cutoff continues, bumping past a once-secret WWII airstrip to meet Mineral Wash Road. This is your final turnoff to the Bill Williams River. Turn right. Flowing water is not far away. Mineral Wash Road, a narrow, often rocky trail, passes a series of old mines before ending three miles later at the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge. A beaver pond provides an idyllic centerpiece for this perfect lunch spot. Thirty miles after entering the Cactus Plain at Bouse, it's time to relax under the cool canopy of cottonwoods and willows, listening to the symphony of wildlife and water in the desert.

Return to Bouse the way you came or turn right at the end of Mineral Wash Road and take Bill Williams River Road past the Gibraltar Mountain Wilderness Area to Parker, where overnight accommodations are plentiful. Buckskin Mountain State Park, with its desert trails and riverside campsites, is a perfect place to enjoy the desert in the winter.

Bouse to the Bill Williams River provides a perfect day trip, or in the vernacular of the legend, just a frog's leap.

TIPS FOR TRAVELERS

Back road travel can be hazardous if you are not prepared for the unexpected. Whether traveling in the desert or in the high country, be aware of weather and road conditions, and make sure you and your vehicle are in top shape and you have plenty of water. Don't travel alone, and let someone at home know where you're going and when you plan to return. Odometer readings in the story may vary by vehicle. Travel in Wilderness areas is restricted to foot or horseback. For more information on the Wildernesses in this story, contact the Lake Havasu Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 2610 Sweetwater Ave., Lake Havasu City, AZ 86406; (520) 505-1200. For more about wildlife, bird-watching, and travel restrictions at the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, call (520) 667-4144. Just south of the refuge along the Colorado River, Buckskin Mountain State Park, (520) 667-3231, offers developed camping, overnight campsites, RV hookups, boat ramps, picnic tables, and hiking trails.