Tucked away from the hubbub of colorful Sedona, travel the road to Cornville Arizona and distance yourself from tourists for another adventure. Specifically drive Page Springs Road and discover wineries and birding opportunities.
We stopped by one of the fish hatcheries on this road for some bird watching. Bubbling Ponds Preserve is a fish hatchery with numerous ponds where we could walk around and observe various waterfowl. We then hiked a 1.8 mile Black Hawk Trail to observe birds in the grasses and trees. There is an additional loop, Willow Point loop, for you to extend your walk, if you wish. Off the main trail you will find yourself in the riparian area along Oak Creek. If you look up the hillside, you may be interested in learning more about the House Mountain area which is a shield volcano. No doubt geologists would love to understand this area too.
Overall, it is a beautiful setting and we could have spent more time! Thanks to Page Springs Hatchery, AZ Game and Fish Department and Northern Arizona Audubon one could easily spend 3 hours here wandering around observing wildlife, reading the educational signs on the Black Hawk Trail, or relaxing at the ramada.
Once you decide your wildlife observing time is done, then you may decide to stop at a local winery right on Page Springs Road or the restaurant across the road, “Up The Creek”. Whatever you do, be sure to spend time in this area of Arizona. Being off the beaten path is good!
Here are landscape and bird photos from our visit at Bubbling Ponds Preserve:
