VISITOR SAFETY

The elevation of the monument ranges from 2,000 to 4,000 feet. Summer visitors must take extra precaution to drink plenty of water as temperatures may exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a large brimmed hat are recommended. Make sure your gasoline tank is full, carry additional water in your vehicle, and make sure your vehicle is in good condition. Hunting remains the most popular monument recreation during the open seasons. Other popular activities include viewing of archeological sites, hiking, 4-wheel driving on designated routes, bird watching, and horseback riding.

The hot desert sun stirs up rattlesnakes and other reptiles as early as February. Summer is rough on visitors and recreationists who must drink plenty of water. Flash floods caused by sudden storms can be dangerous in washes, so it is best to have a survival plan to prevent emergency situations. Be careful about crossing the river on Bloody Basin road during storms, especially when there are rains to the north, as the river crossing can flood quite suddenly, cutting of your passage and leaving you stranded until the river goes down.

Fire and Firearm Safety

Fire restrictions are put in place during high fire danger periods.

Target shooting and discharging firearms are prohibited, except in taking game in accordance with Arizona hunting laws.

Etiquette for Visiting Archaeological Sites

Archaeological sites are very fragile and non-renewable cultural resources. Please do your part in preserving these fragile resources by observing these simple guidelines while visiting an archaeological site. An archaeological site includes historic sites as well as prehistoric sites, and may or may not be open to the public. Please respect all sites so that future generations may also enjoy them.

  • Avoid sitting, standing, leaning on or climbing on walls or other archaeological features. These features are extremely fragile, and are very easily damaged.
  • Leave all artifacts where they are. Removing artifacts from an archaeological site is illegal. On some lands, even the removal of plants is illegal. Each area you visit may have different guidelines. Be sure to read the guidelines for the area you are visiting. A good policy would be to “take only photographs, leave only footprints.”
  • Please do not litter while visiting a site.
  • Digging for any reason at an archaeological site is illegal.
  • Stay on the trails to help protect fragile vegetation and prevent erosion. Making a new trail may encourage others to follow the new trail that may be visible for years.
  • Refrain from tracing, touching, climbing on or using moisture on petroglyphs, commonly called rock art. The oils on you hands may cause permanent damage that may in the future, prevent dating. Chalking a petroglyph to get a better photograph is considered vandalism.
  • All archaeological sites on public lands in Arizona are protected by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and other state laws that prohibit digging, removal of artifacts, damaging or defacing archaeological resources. Arizona state laws also protect graves and all associated artifacts from graves on public or private land.
  • Please do not GPS archaeological sites and publish that information on the web. Some sites are extremely sensitive and do not stand up well to large numbers of visitors. Also, the sense of self discovery of a great part of the thrill of visiting an prehistoric site.

If you observe a violation of these laws you may report it by calling 1-800-VANDALS.