Glass Containers Banned at Oak Creek and Fossil Creek

Jeff Maltzman | Oak Creek

It’s April 22 … yep, Earth Day. As such, we thought this reminder about following the Leave No Trace Principles was especially appropriate. Unfortunately, LNT is an ethos that is frequently ignored (as you’ll read below and in our upcoming June issue), and that’s a dangerous problem. Now, our friends at the Forest Service have implemented this latest ban to keep visitors safe and, hopefully, eliminate dangerous litter.

The Coconino National Forest is implementing a prohibition on glass food and beverage containers on federal lands near Oak Creek and Fossil Creek, two popular public swimming areas. This ban will be in effect beginning April 1, 2014. Broken glass containers are to blame for cut feet and litter in many locations along these two streams. This prohibition will enhance health and safety and reduce hazardous waste in the stream corridor.

Along Oak Creek near Sedona, glass containers are prohibited on Forest land within 300 feet of the edge of Oak Creek except within designated picnic and campgrounds or within a motor vehicle. This prohibition extends from Red Rock Crossing upstream through Oak Creek Canyon to Pumphouse Wash.

For Fossil Creek, glass containers are prohibited within the entire Wild and Scenic River area ¼ mile on either side of Fossil Creek from the Fossil Springs area downstream to below Stehr Lake. This includes portions of the Coconino and the Tonto national forests. Visitors may have glass containers within their vehicle.

Forest visitors are encouraged to abide by the prohibition so that the stream corridor is safer for everyone. Visitors should bring alternate types of containers with them if they are picnicking stream-side. The prohibition will be posted at all bulletin boards and entry areas. Per Title 16 36 CFR 261.50 (a) and/or (b), violation of this Order is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both.

Contact the Red Rock Ranger District at (928)-203-2900 or for additional information.

Check Out These Great Gift Ideas…

“In my mind, there was no golden era, just decades and decades of spectacular photography — one great shot after another.” — Robert Stieve

The holidays are right around the corner — OK, not really, but everyone else seems to be getting into the spirit (and not the Halloween variety) — so, with that, why not start thinking about what you’ll be giving your favorite friends and family this gift-giving season?

Not to worry; we have three very good ideas below:

100 Greatest Photographs to Ever Appear inArizona Highways Magazine: From Navajo families and a Mohave girl to the splendor of the Grand Canyon and the grasslands of Southern Arizona, the 100 images that appear in these pages are the best to have ever been published in Arizona Highways, as chosen by Photo Editor Jeff Kida and Editor Robert Stieve. As Stieve writes, “In my mind, there was no golden era, just decades and decades of spectacular photography — one great shot after another.” This book celebrates those great shots, both old and new, and pays tribute to the men and women who made them.

Arizona Highways Camping Guide: From quiet, isolated high-mountain sites to low-desert locations, Arizona Highways Camping Guide features 100 of the best campgrounds in Arizona. The book, which includes Arizona Highways’ iconic photography and maps, is sorted by region and written for car-campers and families. Detailed information about locations, amenities, seasonal accessibility and fees is included with each listing.

Arizona Highways Hiking Guide: Fifty-two of the best day hikes in Arizona — one for each weekend of the year, organized by seasons. Robert Stieve, editor of Arizona Highways magazine and an experienced backwoods trekker, selected hikes ranging from easy walks in the woods to challenging journeys to Arizona’s highest peaks and deepest canyons — including the Grand Canyon. In-depth trail guides, descriptions, warnings and GPS coordinates are included with each hike, along with the magazine’s classic fine photography.

All three books are available at Costco and at the Arizona Highways store.

This Labor Day Weekend, Go Camping

From quiet, isolated high-mountain sites to low-desert locations, Arizona Highways Camping Guide features 100 of the best campgrounds in Arizona.”Camping is such a great way to explore Arizona, including spots you might not otherwise visit,” says the book’s author, Kelly Vaughn Kramer. The book, ($22.95), which includes Arizona Highways’ iconic photography and maps, is sorted by region and written for car-campers and families. Detailed information about locations, amenities, seasonal accessibility and fees is included with each listing. Click to buy your copy (or copies) today!So, where does Kramer like to camp? Lockett Meadow, near Flagstaff; KP Cienega, in the White Mountains (it’s on the book’s cover); and Los Burros, north of McNary, are three of her favorites.

Go Camping this Weekend!

Looking to get out of the heat this weekend? Why not go camping? Pick up the Arizona Highways Camping Guide, which features 100 of the best campgrounds in Arizona. The book, which includes Arizona Highways’ iconic photography and maps, is sorted by region and written for car-campers and families. Detailed information about locations, amenities, seasonal accessibility and fees is included with each listing.

Everything You Need to Go Camping in Arizona… Right at Your Fingertips

It’s July. It’s hot. And we’re the experts when it comes to getting away from it all. Need proof? See below:

Now go camping this summer!

It’s National Get Outdoors Day. Enjoy Mother Nature & Go Camping!

This Saturday, June 8, is National Get Outdoors Day, which means you don’t have much of an excuse not to hit the trails, pitch your tent, bust out the bike or dust off your canoe. Looking for a quick camping escape? Managing Editor Kelly Kramer, author of the new Arizona Highways Camping Guide, recommends Lockett Meadow, near Flagstaff.

“It’s set among the aspens, of course, and the 17 sites each offer spectacular views of the wilderness, including the ashy, cinder-cone landscape, Kramer writes. “In summer, the aspens blaze a brilliant green with new leaves. Sites 7 and 8 are perhaps the most scenic, while 13 through 15 are nothing to scoff at, either. You won’t find a bad site in the bunch.”

Information: Flagstaff Ranger District, Coconino National Forest, 928-527-3600 or www.fs.usda.gov/Coconino.

The Arizona Highways Camping Guide is available online at www.arizonahighways.com and at Arizona Costco locations beginning tomorrow.