Enjoy the great outdoors this spring with inspiring vistas at one of our local hidden gems. Just east of Carefree, the Sears-Kay Ruin offers a look into the lifestyles of ancient Hohokam Indians, ancestors of today’s Pima Indians and the Valley’s first residents.
Photo from Media File.
It’s a great place to take the family for a kid-friendly hike and a bit of history for all.
Ancient Ruins
The Hohokam Indians chose a great place to live; this perfect ridge was easy to defend with a few well-placed scouts who could easily check for enemies without the need to travel far. The Hohokams had panoramic views all around, including Pinnacle Peak, Four Peaks, the Superstitions, and Weaver’s Needle.
A one-mile loop trail guides you along a series of 40 rooms in four different compounds. They were believed to be inhabited by about 100 people between 1050 and 1200 AD. The foundations of the rooms are still visible, lined with sturdy rock walls.
Signs are posted along the trail explaining how the rooms were likely used, as well as construction techniques. The rooms in the upper compound were supposedly constructed with masonry walls and the rooms in the lower compounds were built using stone, wood, and adobe.
Its unbelievable to think little to no mortar was used to hold the stones together. Renderings show images of what the rooms could have looked like 900 years ago. You’ll see roofs crafted from juniper trees, central fire pits, and stone doorways, among other features.
Why the name Sears – Kay Ruin?
The Sears-Kay Ruin is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places. It was named after J.M. Sears who founded the nearby Sears-Kay Ranch in 1887.
Photo Credit: Kevin Korycanek
If You Go, What to Know
- Level of difficulty: Easy
- Amenities: Picnic tables, vault toilets, day use
- Parking: a Tonto pass is required
- How to get there: From Carefree, take Cave Creek Road/Seven Springs Rd./Forest Road 24 for 14 miles north to Sears Kay. The ruins are located just off the east side of the road.
- Tonto National Forest: 602-225-5200
