This is the next trail to ruins on Lower Butler Wash starting from the South end of the road. We attempted this hike the night before, but parked in the wrong place and wandered all over the Mesa and canyon looking for the ruins. We returned to our hotel room that night and did some research. That’s when we discovered that we were in the wrong location. The trail for this hike is easy and well-marked. If you hike a trail and can’t find the cairns, then you’re in the wrong place.
The trick to finding the trailhead is to arrive at the correct parking area. When you see the turn off, there will be a loop (see picture below) and a road that goes to the left. The road on the left goes to a camping area and is not the right place. Go through the loop and park near the trees.
Here’s what the parking area looks like:
The trailhead is not marked, but it starts under the trees. It starts as a dirt trail but ends on slick rock where you can follow the cairns. They are easy to see and will lead you to the left (north) to the beginnings of another dirt trail.
There’s a wigwam on the path. We walked right past it (I was watching the trail and not looking up).
When you get to a wide riverbed, you’ll see trails going to the right and left. Head to the left. By this point, you can actually see the upper ruins (see last picture above).
