2107 Fall Fun Event: Casa Grande Ruins

You're Invited...Join AZAALAS at the Casa Grande Ruins
for family fun & education too!

Saturday, Oct 28: 11am - 3pm

Registration form and payment must be received by October 16th

Cost: Each adult (16 years or older) will be charged $5.00. Children 15 and younger are free.

For More Than 650 Years the Casa Grande Has Stood as a Meeting Place and Landmark

Explore the mystery and complexity of an extended network of communities and irrigation canals. An Ancient Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether the Casa Grande was a gathering place for the Desert People or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of canals and trading partners is but part of the mystique of the Ruins

The visitor center is where your visit begins as this is where we will be meeting up with our AZAALAS group at 11 a.m. and where you will receive a copy of the park's official map and guide. This guide is a popular take home item as it will refresh your knowledge of the Hohokam Culture and the things you will see during your visit. The next step may be to head to the park auditorium to view the twenty two minute orientation film which plays every thirty minutes on the hour and half hour.

Time to explore before the next movie? You might want to visit the park bookstore, the small museum within the visitor center, and bathrooms.

Some of our park visitors have discovered that the desert can be a great birding hotspot. You can see some wonderful photos on the birding page.  Of course there are mammals within the park boundaries as well. The most abundant, and quite the crowd pleaser for most of the year, is the round tail ground squirrel.

Lunch will be onsite in their covered picnic area and is included in our visit: Sandwiches, chips, soda/water and cookies. * * Any food restrictions, let us know by Oct 16th: azaalas@gmail.com

Directions: The park is in Coolidge, Arizona, about an hour-long drive from either Phoenix or Tucson. From Interstate 10 take the Coolidge exits and follow the signs to the park entrance.

Directions from Phoenix - Take I-10 East toward Tucson to AZ-387. At Exit 185, approximately 36 miles from Sky Harbor International Airport, exit as directed by the brown Casa Grande Ruins National Monument sign. Turn left at the end of the off-ramp onto AZ-187/AZ-387 as indicated by the brown directional sign for Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Go over the I-10 overpass and then make a right turn onto AZ-387 which is marked by a brown Casa Grande Ruins directional sign. Proceed east 7 miles to AZ-87 which is where AZ-387 ends. At the stop sign, make a right turn onto AZ-87 as indicated by the brown Casa Grande Ruins directional sign. Continue towards Coolidge for 7 miles, do not follow any GREEN directional signs to the town of Casa Grande, only follow brown directional signs to Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. At the traffic light where AZ-87 and AZ-287 intersect turn right (south) onto Arizona Blvd remaining on AZ-87. Look for the entrance to the monument about 1/2 mile on your right as marked with the brown Casa Grande Ruins National Monument directional sign. Proceed down the entrance road 3/4 miles to the visitor center. Parking is marked for vehicles and for buses/RVs/towing vehicles.

A map and PDF downloadable map with these directions from Phoenix is found here.

Directions from Tucson - Take I-10 West (toward Phoenix) approximately 47 miles to AZ-87 at exit 211b. Exit 211b as directed by the brown Casa Grande Ruins National Monument sign and continue straight onto the Frontage Road for 1/2 mile. Stay in the right lane to go North on AZ-87 for 19 miles to Coolidge, do NOT follow any green directional signs for the city of Casa Grande but look for brown directional signs for Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.Once you arrive at the city of Coolidge continue through town about 3 miles and look for the entrance to the monument on your left directly across from Safeway Plaza shopping area on your right. There is currently no marker for the final left turn into the park, but the park boundary fence has the park name on it in several places. If you find yourself at a stoplight with the Coolidge Walmart store to your right you have gone too far.Once you have passed through the park entrance gates proceed down the entrance road 3/4 miles to the visitor center. Parking is marked for vehicles and for buses/RVs/towing vehicles.

A map and PDF downloadable map with these directions from Tucson is found here.

Are pets allowed in the park?  Well behaved pets are allowed in outdoor areas provided they are restrained by a leash and are in the control of an adult. Leashes must be six feet in length or less. When you bring your pet to the park be aware of your surroundings. Respect the rights of others who may have a fear of your pet, even a friendly one. Remember that your pet may be more susceptible to heat stress than you since its body mass is closer to the hot ground surface.

Any other questions?  Contact azaalas@gmail.com