Part of this year’s Gila River Festival. Register now; space is limited.

Participant limit: 15. Fee: $30
Difficulty: strenuous
Meet at the Murray Ryan Visitor Center at 6:15 a.m., and carpool/convoy to a side canyon of the Gila Lower Box. Travel time: about 1.5 hrs. each way.

Join Native Interpretive Guide Alex Mares for a 6 – 7 mile hike into a side canyon of the Gila River and learn about the history, prehistory, flora and fauna and the efforts to protect both the water and land of the area. Enjoy beautiful vistas, experience the late summer desert monsoon season and see and learn about ancient petroglyphs in the company of descendants of those who left them and hike down a beautiful multi-colored canyon that leads us to the Gila River itself. Join us in this strenuous hike to celebrate in the company of locals, out of state visitors and native descendants the successful efforts and struggles to preserve and protect water and land of the last free flowing river, the first Wilderness area and the next 100 years of community, cultural partnership, and sharing!