If you want to experience the thrill of splashing through a river crossing
or creeping along a narrow cliff and enjoying the beauty of the
Desert Southwest, you will love a Windwalker Off-Road Vacation Expedition.

Lake Pleasant Loop Expedition (Half Day)  

Length: 3.5-4 hours (actual off-road time)
Fuel: Snacks & drinks included
Pricing: Please Call 1.888.785.3382 from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. 365 days a year!

The Lake Pleasant Loop will take you to one of the largest desert lakes in Arizona. Set against a backdrop of the Bradshaw Mountains, you will experience the Desert Southwest at its most amazing. Journey past unusual geologic rock formations and explore a narrow slot canyon formed eons ago by wind and water. Hold on tight as the jeep creeps along a narrow ledge high above the slot canyon. Bask in the rich vistas of the Sonoran Desert and don't be surprised if you see wild donkeys and their young along the trail. Shy antelope may bound out of your path as you journey deep into the desert.

Indian Mesa Expedition (Full Day)

Length: 5.5-6 hours (actual off-road time)
Fuel: Gourmet Lunch from AJ's Fine Foods, snacks & drinks included
Pricing: Please Call 1.888.785.3382 from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. 365 days a year!  

On this off-road adventure, you will explore the remains of the desert's earliest dwellers - the Sinagua and Hohokam Native American tribes. The word "Sinagua" is a contraction of the Spanish words "sin agua," or, "without water," an allusion to the arid country in which the tradition arose. The Sinagua Indians practiced flood plain agriculture in the early centuries, irrigating their farm plots with systems of check dams and irrigation ditches, and supplemented their crops with hunting and gathering. The Hohokom Indians were farmers and were said to be some of the most skilled desert agriculturalist of all time. They left behind an extensive trail of canals, waterways, plazas and hints of what their life might have been.

Learn about the culture of these ancient people as you explore ruins of their civilization. See the rock art they left behind and marvel at the stone structures where they lived and worked. As an added bonus, you will see some of the Sonoran Desert's most rugged, yet spectacular, scenery.  This tour was inspired by Dr. James Schoenwetter, Professor of archaeology at Arizona State University, who provided Windwalker with the history of these areas. 

Gold Mine Expedition (Full Day)

Length: 5.5-6 hours (actual off-road time)
Fuel: Gourmet Lunch from AJ's Fine Foods, snacks & drinks included
Pricing: Please Call 1.888.785.3382 from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. 365 days a year!

• Visit a real gold mine!
• Meet the prospector who still works the land!
• Mine your own gold!

El Paro Bonito Mine History

In the 1870s, gold was discovered in the Bradshaw Mountains. In 1882, Charles Champie discovered a prime location - now called the El Paro Bonito Mine (in English that translates to the Pretty Dog Mine). The mine is perched on the side of one of the steepest ravines in the area, surround by pristine wildness that is a beautiful example of unspoiled Sonoran Desert terrain.

Miners worked the El Paro Bonito mine off and on from 1882 until 1934 and the mine passed through numerous hands. Throughout the years, the residents have left their legacy and memories in the area - now just tumbled ruins and grave markers.

Meet a Real Prospector

Dave Burns, your Windwalker Guide, is a real prospector who still works the El Paro Bonito and surrounding area looking for (and finding) gold. With Dave, you will visit the mine, the homesteads and the gravesites of the first settlers who found gold in the area. He can tell you everything you want to know about where and how to find gold, how to get it out of the ground and some fantastic stories of the early prospectors.

You will explore the 550-foot mine shaft and Dave will show you what miners look for as they prospect for promising pockets of gold. After the heat of the desert and harsh sun, the cool rush of air from the tunnel is a welcome change.

Dig Your Own Gold

The crowning event of your Gold Mine Excursion is prospecting for your own gold. Dave will help you dig a bucket of sand and gravel from a promising locations in a nearby dry streambed. Then he will let you run the bucket through his sluice. With a little luck, you'll find a few flakes or nuggets of gold - and you get to keep whatever you find! 

Tip Top Mine Expedition (Full Day)

Length: 5.5-6 hours (actual off-road time)
Fuel: Gourmet Lunch from AJ's Fine Foods, snacks & drinks included
Pricing: Please Call 1.888.785.3382 from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. 365 days a year! 

This full day adventure is filled with amazing desert and mountain scenery as you journey to the Tip Top Mine. Panoramic vistas will open below you as you climb to the mine site. Enjoy a gourmet lunch, catered by AJs Fine Food, as you explore this amazing historic site.

How Tip Top Was Discovered

The Mine was discovered in 1875 by John Corning and Jack Moore. The two men were actually interested in the big gold strikes around the Humbug mining area and were on their way there when they noticed indications of high-grade silver on the slopes of Cottonwood Creek. With in days, they staked three claims in the area. This remote location forced them to pack the silver out by mule, then ship it down the Colorado River to the Gulf of California and all the way to San Francisco to have it smelted. The Tip Top Silver Mine went on to become one of the largest silver producers in the area. This mine was worked steadily until 1884, then off an on for another 30 years.