Snowbird RV Adventure: Catalina State Park Hikes

Days 8-9

Hiking the Romero Ruins Trail.

November 22: The first hike we took at Catalina State Park was the 3/4 mile Romero Ruins Trail loop. The first and last sections of the trail are on relatively level ground at the base of the Catalina Mountain Range. There was one rise in elevation that was negotiated by railroad tie stairs.

I enjoy learning about the history of the places we visit. Maybe it's the old college history major still in me. Catalina has lots of ancient and more recent history to share.

The ruins were from two widely spaced eras. There was a Hohokam native village dating back to about 500 A.D. Depressions indicated where homes once stood and mounds were trash middens. There was an area used for ball courts similar to those found in Yucatan ruins in Mexico, only much smaller. The 15-acre site was encircled by a stone wall, remnants can be seen in the upper left photo below.

Fabian Romero homesteaded and ranched in the same location as the former Hohokam village. His ranch land covered 4800 acres, but his home and buildings were here on the bluff overlooking Canada del Oro lands below. The remains of a homestead foundation are in the lower left photo above.

On the way back, we saw a beautiful sundog. It may be warm down here on the surface in Arizona, but there are ice crystals up there in the clouds to make this colourful display.

 

November 23: The next day we took an easy walking trail from the campground to the park's equestrian center where there's a staging area for people with horses to park trailers, enter the park's extensive multi-use trail system, and even camp with their horses nearby.

We waited until almost sunset to walk the half mile to see the facility and return to our campsite to make dinner. 

 

On the way the low sun angles made the Catalina Mountains in the distance glow. -- Margy