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Best photographic locations within the Bradshaws

If I had to recommend one or two locations for your next photography adventure, they would include the Senator Highway from Prescott south. A close second would be Bumble Bee exit off I 17 to Crown King. Listed below are a few favorite locations. Time of year can make your visit more enjoyable and a more beautiful landscape and wildlife viewing opportunities. Location is first, habitat next and finally best time of year to visit. Location notes follow.

South Side

• Lake Pleasant, Castle Hot Springs & Cow Creek Road. Desert. Winter and Spring. Wild burros, lake, rugged mountain landscape and various desert wildlife. Old 1920's dude ranches and ghost towns. 

• Silver Mountain area. Upper Sonoran desert. Spring. Deer and various wildlife and desert creeks.

• Tule Creek. Fall, winter and early spring. Sonoran desert. Old abandoned ranch, Indian ruins and flowing creeks. Good spring wildflower blooms. Good birding area.  

• Agua Fria River near Lake Pleasant. Sonoran desert. Fall, Winter and Spring. Good birding area and other desert wildlife, ghost towns, abandoned ranch, Indian Mesa, click here to read a article on Indian Mesa. 

• Humbug Creek. Sonoran desert. Spring. Flowing creek above Lake Pleasant and unique rock formations. Good wildlife area.

• Buckhorn Creek area, Sonoran desert. Spring. Unique desert rock formations. Wildlife, old mines and ranches.

East Side

• Table Mesa Road. Sonoran desert. Winter and Spring. Flowing river, wildlife, especially birds and burros, Indian Mesa close by. Fishing in Spring. Click here for article on Indian Mesa

• Tip Top. Upper Sonoran desert. Spring. Great Saguaro forest near Tip Top above Gillette. Wildlife, mines and ghost towns.

• Black Canyon City on Old Black Canyon Stage Road. Sonoran desert. Spring. Good wild flower blooms after wet Winter. Flowing Black Canyon creek.  

• Bumble Bee Road. Upper Sonoran desert. Spring. Ghost towns, Historic train track, varying habitats, Indian ruins, mines and wildlife.

•  Lower east end of Castle Creek Wilderness on Castle Creek has amazing wildflower blooms during wet winters.  Click here for more information 

• Bloody Basin Road. Grassland. All year. Old Cordes, historic stage stop open in winter. Javelina, deer and birding.

•  Antelope Creek Road. Grassland. Spring. Deer, follow historic train track all the way to Cleator, if you wish. 

• Mayer, FS 67 Pine Flat Road. Chaparral and pine forest. Spring and Summer. Nearby Grapevine Creek, wildlife. 

• Poland Junction, FS 261. Pine forest. Fall Spring and Summer.  Flowing Big Bug Creek and wildlife. 

• Humboldt, Iron King Mine Road. Chaparral. Spring and Winter. Old mines. 

North Side

• Walker Road, Lynx Lake Road, FS 197. Pine forest. Spring and Summer. Lakes, creeks, old mines, aspens groves and wildlife.

• Senator Highway, FS 52 road. Pine forest. Spring, Summer and Fall. Mines, lakes, creeks, forest, aspens groves and wildlife.

• Ponderosa Park, FS 66 Road. Pine forest. Spring, Summer and Fall. Hassayampa River and swimming holes in Summer. 

West Side

• Kirkland Junction, Wagoner Road. Grassland. Year round. Huge ranches, Hassayampa River and Indian ruins. Wildlife and Elk on this side of Bradshaws. 

• Congress, Stanton Road. Sonoran desert. Winter and Spring. A few ghost towns, good wildflower blooms in Spring, wildlife and mines.

• Wickenburg, Rincon Road. Sonoran desert. Winter and Spring. Hassayapa River, deer and various wildlife. 

• Wickenburg, Constellation Road FS 362. Sonoran desert. Winter and Spring. A few ghost towns and good wildflower blooms in Spring.

• Morristown, Castle Hot Springs Road. Sonoran desert. Winter and Spring. Castle Hot Springs, rugged mountains, wildlife, good wildflower blooms in Spring and floods in heavy rains. 

Spring wildflowers near French Creek, South side of Bradshaws