It is easy to take things that we see and interact with daily for granted. One such thing is the Verde River. Corky and I decided to find the source of the river and follow it down its 192-mile course. We knew it was a north flowing river, so we flew to Cottonwood to pick up the trail and followed it south and west until we were near the source – a series of springs in remote canyons on the north side of the Bradshaw Mountains near Paulden. The photo above was taken looking to the north, near where the river emerges from the Bradshaw’s. On the left horizon, the San Francisco Peaks are visible to the north. Red Rock Country and beyond is to the right of the peaks and Prescott is off to the right.
This photo is of Watson Lake and Willow Lake. Watson is the lake in the lower part of the image and where the cover photo was taken. Watson and Willow are fed by Granite Creek, which is an intermittent creek and ultimately also joins the Verde River.
This photo shows the Verde River flowing in from the left. It’s joined by Sycamore Creek, which comes in from the north out of Sycamore Canyon. Sycamore Creek is a beautiful place fed by springs. Horizon left to right is Bill Williams Mountain, Sitgreaves, Kendrick Peak and the San Francisco Peaks.
The photo above shows Oak Creek coming in from the north and joining the Verde River which is coming up from the south and then the river flows east, to the right side of the photo. This is located east of Cottonwood and north of SR 260.
East of Camp Verde, the river turns south. For about 40 miles, it’s designated National Wild and Scenic River, one of just two designations in Arizona. The river flows into Horseshoe Lake and a bit downstream, Bartlett Lake, both created by dams. Further south it joins the Salt River. In this photo, you can see Horseshoe Lake with reflected clouds and further south (top of the photo), Bartlett Lake. The Verde River watershed provides about 40 percent of the surface water used by Phoenix, according to Friends of the Verde River. Incredible beauty is found the entire length of the river.
