Picture Canyon Waterfall
Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve
Flagstaff, Arizona
June 2023

Picture Canyon was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 10, 2008.  The 478-acre preserve was purchased on October 30, 2012, at a public auction on the steps of Coconino County Courthouse from the State Land Department by the City of Flagstaff for $4.8 million after several community groups rehabilitated the area and rallied decades for its protection.  An agreement was made with the Wildcat Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant, located immediately south of the preserve, to provide a constant water source for the riparian habitat and wildlife.  Reclaimed water is discharged into a pond that feeds the Rio de Flag through a rugged geological canyon composed of basalt rock.  Thousands of years ago, between 700 and 1300 AD, this area was home to the natives known as the Northern Sinagua (people without water). Picture Canyon is named for the large density of petroglyphs created by the Sinagua located along the river.  Hundreds of panels were created depicting archers, geometric shapes, and local animals like birds and turtles. (Wikipedia)

See more of my Sedona - Flagstaff, Arizona photography here.