THE DOG BLOG
For
Animal Lovers
and
Lovers of Travel
~~~Paradise~~~
From Wickenburg, Arizona, you drive north on highway 93 for approximately 35 miles. You'll go through a Joshua Forest, where thousands upon thousands of Joshua Trees grace the rocky hills. When you pass directly underneath huge power lines which cross 93, get ready. After less than a quarter of a mile, make a left-hand turn onto a dirt track. There is a small sign saying, Please close the gate, but there is no longer any gate. You'll see two old long blue water tanks which will confirm you're in the right place. Continue on for about a mile and you'll begin seeing places to camp. The road is very rocky and rough, but you don't need 4-wheel drive, only high clearance. You are now in the Arrastra Mountain Wilderness!
If you follow the wash west on foot, you'll come to a spring (I believe Alamos Spring) which I think flows all year round and is a great source of water. After about one mile you'll come first to a rocky gorge where barrel cactus cling to the sides, then after another mile the Santa Maria river. But like all Garden of Eden's, this too has its dark side - rattlesnake. When I left in mid-April, it was hot, and I was seeing a rattlesnake a day! These are the side-winder variety. So keep your eyes open.
If you were to continue driving up Highway 93, in five miles you'll cross the Santa Maria river. In another ten, you'll reach Nothing, Arizona, (yes, this is the real name!) where there is one store. In another fifteen miles you'll reach Wikieup which has a few stores and restaurants and a RV park where you can buy a shower for $3.
There is no cell phone reception in Paradise. However, about three miles south of the gate, you can get reception which is a US40 radio signal, where there are also gates to State Trust Land. Enjoy!!
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