Signal Hill Trail

I have a friend who has always said, "Nothing beats a desert sunset." I spent two full years photographing mesmerizing sunsets on the Pacific Ocean, so I don't completely agree. However, a desert sunset definitely takes a very close second. So, when the reviews said this park was the perfect spot to watch the sun go down, it went straight to the top of my list of places to visit.

At this point, I had been in the Tucson area for just over a week, and every day I would look to the sky and see a vast ocean of blue. There wasn't a cloud in the sky for days. But I was ready to do some exploring so I headed out to the trailhead, and that's when I noticed that the clouds had come out to join me. Boy was I ready for the show!

The entrance to Signal Hill is well signed so I didn't miss the turn. The windy, dirt road leading to the trailhead is just over a mile long. Honestly, the bumpy road was so long that I pulled over to make sure I was heading in the right direction. With my friend Google telling me to keep going, and seeing a few cars pass by in the opposite direction, I knew that I was going to end up somewhere that other people had been. Turns out, I ended up right where I wanted to be.

I didn't realize that the park was actually a picnic area. There were quite a few tables and grills for people to use in the parking area as well as down the path away from the vehicles. I was surprised to see that the entire path consisted of steps made out of stones. The first set led me down to where a few other trails intersected this one. Then they led up to a small seating area with information about the petroglyphs on the rocks along the path to the top.

Heading up the stairs on my way to the petroglyphs, I was taking in all of the sights; the different colors of the surrounding mountains, the diversity of the cacti, how the setting sun changed the colors of everything; and then I came to this sign that read, "Rattle snake area." Ummmm WHAAATTT?? Full stop, people. Full, freaking, stop. Yes, I instinctually grabbed for my bear whistle before I realized that the snakes don't care how much noise I make as they chomp down on my leg! So, I took some time to look at the rocks beside me and the steps ahead and proceeded with extreme caution.

The steps up to the top wound around the hill, offering 360-degree views. It was really gorgeous. I got to see the mountains in the east highlighted by the sun setting in the west, and the shadows of the mountains on the west-side of the valley below. The hill itself is like a mound of rocks, so I really had to search for the petroglyphs. Since they are no longer in any kind of order, no one knows what the Indigenous people were trying to take note of.

After scanning the rock pile for ancient pictures, I turned my face to the sun and just waited. I was there for the sunset. To see how the wind made the clouds dance, to watch the how the changing light focused on dust storms and ponds of water that were not previously visible, and to see the colors that Mother Nature used to paint the sky as she put this part of the earth to sleep.

I stayed as long as I could. Just soaking in the energy, understanding that I was standing on hallowed ground. Centuries of history live here, so many people and stories and lives have witnessed this place. And now, I can be counted among those numbers. I am so grateful that places like this are preserved.

When it was too cold to stand still, and only one other person remained on the hill with me, I turned to head back down the steps and was greeted with an unexpected surprise. No, it wasn't a snake (I'm just going to believe it was too cold for that to happen), it was my dear friend, the moon. She was just starting her ascent, sitting on the mountain range to the east, and shining in all of her glory. One day I will have the kind of lens that allows me to zoom in on the moon. For now, I will hold on to the picture in my mind and share this little one with you.