TYPICAL PEDON: Ashfork gravelly clay loam - rangeland. TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Calcidic Argiustolls The mean annual precipitation is about 13 inches, and the mean annual air temperature is about 51 degrees F. Ashfork soils are on hills and have slopes of 1 to 15 percent. The Ashfork series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium and colluvium derived from basalt and pyroclastics. Information: Williams Ranger District, 92 or Ash Fork Route 66 Museum, 92 or Series Description - ASHFORK Series LOCATION ASHFORK AZ Don’t travel alone, and let someone know where you are going and when you plant to return. Warning: Back-road travel can be hazardous, so be aware of weather and road conditions. Vehicle requirements: A high-clearance vehicle is recommended. Bear right to stay on Double A Ranch Road (County Road 124), which becomes Forest Road 124 and later turns into Country Club Road, and continue 23.8 miles back to I-40 near Williams. Turn right onto Double A Ranch Road and continue 5.7 miles to a “Y” intersection. Turn right onto First Street and continue 0.1 miles to Double A Ranch Road. Turn right onto the I-40 business route and continue 0.4 miles to First Street. But you can enjoy the satisfaction of having experienced a vintage 1920 American road trip.ĭirections: From Williams, go west on Interstate 40 for 15 miles to the I-40 business route in Ash Fork (Exit 146). Lion, bear and wolves, while a menace to the stock industry, offer thrills for the big game hunter.”Įventually, you’re back on pavement, and as you drive past the manicured greens of Williams’ Elephant Rocks Golf Course, it’s highly unlikely you’ll see a wolf or a bear. The hills abound with deer and wild turkey, numerous small lakes are stocked with bass. FR 124 (also signed CR 124) becomes a bumpy washboard on the climb out of the marsh and into the pine forest just outside of Williams.Ī National Old Trails Road travel guide published in the early 1920s by the Albuquerque Auto Trades Association describes Williams this way: “Here, the healthseeker or the sportsman finds his goal. On your right is a marsh, called Mud Ketch Tank, where deer can often be spotted. Eventually, the junipers, prickly pears and sandstone bluffs give way to broad high-country meadows that are filled with wildflowers in late summer. On the right, look for the perfect picnic spot: a pullout and two sandstone benches, strategically placed to enjoy the view, under a large juniper.Īs FR 124 descends off the ridge, railroad tracks parallel the road on the left, and the ruins of an old mining town at Cucamonga Junction are on the right. After several miles, you’ll top out on a 6,000-foot plateau called Paradise Ridge, where undulating grassland sprawls in every direction and a spectacular view of Bill Williams Mountain and the San Francisco Peaks fills the horizon. Several commercial quarries along FR 124 supply Ash Fork’s thriving flagstone business. The graded red-dirt road winds north and then east through juniper scrubland and in between hillsides stacked with large, salmon-colored sandstone slabs. Soon, the pavement ends and the real experience begins. Then turn right onto County Road 124, which becomes FR 124. From Ash Fork, head north on Double A Ranch Road - you’ll pass Settlers Cemetery on the right. The museum is managed by the Ash Fork Historical Society and includes various exhibits on frontier life, as well as plenty of early 20th century road-trip memorabilia. The winding journey is full of bumps, scenic panoramas and the thrill of traveling a dusty road with no other cars in sight.īefore embarking on your own retro road trip, get in the mood with a visit to the Ash Fork Route 66 Museum, located on Historic Route 66. But in between, navigating the mostly unpaved and often-rugged road was more of a wilderness expedition.Īlthough the modern drive on I-40 between Ash Fork and Williams is little more than a blur of pine trees and speeding big rigs, taking Forest Road 124 - located a few miles north of the interstate - is reminiscent of the National Old Trails Road, circa 1920. The expanse across the West generally followed the route of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, which allowed auto travelers to enjoy the comfortable Harvey House hotels in depot towns along the way. This coast-to-coast highway was established in 1912 to encourage auto touring, and it stretched for some 3,000 miles, from the East Coast to California. And before Route 66, there was a little-known route called the National Old Trails Road. Before there was the smooth, straight blacktop of Interstate 40 to ferry auto travelers across Northern Arizona, there was Route 66.
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