Waterfall Trail & Petroglyph Plaza (Maricopa County, Arizona)

After four days and three nights in the backcountry of Saguaro National Park, one would think I would be done with adventure for a bit, but needing to drive from Phoenix to Reno today, I had to have a couple of stops to break up the trip bit.

The first stop was a state park just outside of Phoenix called White Tanks. I had researched this park a bit and chosen a trail that included a dry waterfall and some petroglyphs. I hit the road early and arrived at the park just as it was opening. I'm really surprised at how many facilities this park has for picnickers. I suspect this pace is really popular on warm spring days.

The Waterfall Trail starts at a paved parking lot complete with a restroom and a number of awnings. The trail is paved for much of it's mile-ish distance. As I walk along the trail, I'm impressed by the beauty of this place. It encapsulates all of the various desert terrains I have experienced in the last few days. There are saguaro, joshua trees, desert oaks, prickly pear, and a number of other desert plants.

As I approach the area known as Petroglyph Plaza, I'm amazed at the number of rock art panels here. I knew there were a few, but I didn't expect this quantity. 

Continuing up the trail, I reach the dry waterfall, which must be incredibly impressive during a rain storm. A 100-ish foot shoot comes down the stone cliff and empties into a shallow pool at the end of a slot canyon. The pool still holds some water.

While a short stop, I was still able to get in a nearly 2-mile hike and see a wonderful state park that I was completely unaware of until researching this trip.