Waterfall Trail on Fossil Creek - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Fossil Creek is a Wild and Scenic River that can be accessed via Fossil Creek Road near Gila County's community of Strawberry, Arizona. It is one of only two streams in Arizona included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The creek and its riparian corridor provide habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna, some listed as endangered or otherwise imperiled. Its former power-plant complex is listed as a National Historic District.

Fossil Springs Wilderness is an 11,550-acre wilderness area within the Coconino National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is at the bottom of a steep canyon at the edge of the Colorado Plateau, just south of the Mogollon Rim. Here, water emerges at the surface at the rate of about 2,700 cubic feet per minute. The perennial water supply supports one of the most diverse riparian ecosystems in the state, with more than 30 species of trees set among native desert shrub.

Fossil Springs Wilderness is an 11,550-acre wilderness area within the Coconino National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is at the bottom of a steep canyon at the edge of the Colorado Plateau, just south of the Mogollon Rim. Here, water emerges at the surface at the rate of about 2,700 cubic feet per minute. It also creates a haven for abundant wildlife, including elk, deer, javelina, coyote, skunk, racoon, ring-tailed cat, fox, mountain lion, black bear and more than 100 bird species.

This is a perennial stream accessed by forest roads near the community of Camp Verde in the U.S. state of Arizona. Primary access is from Forest Road 708 off Arizona State Route 260 east of Camp Verde. A tributary of the Verde River, Fossil Creek flows from its headwaters on the Mogollon Rim to meet the larger stream near the former Childs Power Plant.

The Strawberry Schoolhouse is a historic one-room school building located in northwestern Gila County, Arizona, in the small mountain community of Strawberry. Built of pine logs in 1885, the Strawberry Schoolhouse is reputed to be the "oldest standing schoolhouse in Arizona" and now functions as a fully restored local history museum, complete with a late-19th century classroom exhibit.

Fossil Creek is a perennial stream accessed by forest roads near the community of Camp Verde in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is one of only two streams in Arizona included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The creek and its riparian corridor provide habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna, some listed as endangered or otherwise imperiled.