Purple Mountain on Fossil Creek
The Purple Mountain site at Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River offers a short walk to the creek. Dense trees provide plentiful shade with many grassy picnic spots. There are several shallow pools with gravel bottoms and easy entry points. It's a beautiful, relaxing area perfect for kicking back in a hammock to read a book, take a siesta, or simply enjoy nature. With long banks to explore, it's easy to find your own little slice of heaven.
Look for bits of history from the days when the Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Facilities provided power to nearby communities. The facilities were decommissioned and removed between 2005 and 2008, but many structures and foundations remain. The Purple Mountain area was originally a work camp in 1908 for workers who constructed the nearby hydroelectric power plant facilities.
Increasing popularity has led to the Coconino and Tonto National Forests to implement a parking permit reservation system in 2016. As of 2017, permits are required April 1 to October 1. Visit Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River for current information and to reserve a permit.
Credit USFS Coconino National Forest. Learn more about visiting Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River managed by the Coconino National Forest. Original public domain image from Flickr.
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