One of the things that attracted me to Snowflake was what I had read about Silver Creek Canyon. Silver Creek starts well south of Snowflake and runs some forty-five miles until it joins the Little Colorado River. For much of its length it is a small, nondescript stream. A few miles north of town, the creek has carved a very scenic canyon. I read that archaeologists had excavated a large set of Anasazi ruins along the canyon but covered them up again to protect them from vandals. I understand their reasoning, but it is disappointing to know of such a place without being able to see it. However, I read there are still petroglyphs on the canyon walls, located at Four Mile Draw and Five Mile Draw. With help from the local Tourist Information and a Deputy Sheriff, I found both locations.
At Four Mile Draw (a wash that leads into Silver Creek), the creek itself was so full of water there was no way to enter the canyon and stay dry. I searched for petroglyphs in the draw itself, checking all the boulders, but found nothing.
At Five Mile Draw, the creek makes a sharp bend in the fifty-foot deep canyon. Although the creek was full, there was room to walk and I could see trails in the bushes. By walking along the canyon rim, I found a place where it was possible to descend. The rocks along the wall formed a very nice ramp for walking down to the creek. Once at the bottom, I hiked along the trail and found petroglyphs and more modern art...call it graffiti.
Some of the modern stuff was surprising to say the least.
The trail continued both up and down stream, but was flooded. Unable to walk farther, I decided to look for other places to access the canyon. I found a dirt road that basically parallels the canyon for fifteen miles or so, with several spur trails leading to the canyon. These were spurious trails at best, but the LRJ handled them all, even the one with a 45 degree tilt.
The trails provided more nice views into the canyon, but no easy access. Given the graffiti I saw at the bottom, I knew it was possible to get down, but I didn't see enough to warrant the effort of climbing down (not to mention climbing out again).
I did encounter a coyote on the trail, but no other wildlife.
At the end of the canyon I found a stone dam, but the creek bypasses the dam and makes a couple waterfalls just before entering the Little Colorado.
Floods occurring over the years have created interesting rock patterns along the banks of the creek.
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