Bill Williams Mountain, Above
Williams, AZ
When you're in Williams, take a look around, and find
the highest mountain nearby--the one with all the TV and radio antennas
on top. That's Bill Williams Mountain, and it's the perfect place
to get the lay of the land. Surprisingly, it's open to anyone who
wants to drive the bumpy 6-mile road to the top.
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Bill Williams Mountain is south of
Williams on Perkinsville Road, AKA Coconino County Route 73.
If you're coming from Dogtown Reservoir, as I was, take a
left onto Rte. 73, headed south. The road (Forest Road
111) is not well marked--the only sign is after you
turn off the main road, so keep an eye out. |
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The drive up to the top of Bill Williams Mountain is a bumpy
one--certainly rougher than the other dirt roads that cross National
Forest land nearby. Even so, it wasn't difficult to handle in my
rental car.
The road climbs steadily, with a few switchbacks. Most of the
time, you can see the towers at the top of the hill, so you know when
you're getting close.
Reaching the top is quite an accomplishment. Here, you are at
9,256 feet, nearly a half mile above the city of Williams (2,490 feet
higher,
to be exact). TV towers and microwave dishes surround you--so
close you can touch them, which probably isn't very safe. There's
also a fire lookout tower with a sign inviting guests to climb to the
top.
Who could resist?
I did discover that it's not an easy climb, and a couple of times, I
banged an elbow or knee into the maze of steel that supports the tower.
Sadly, the tiny room at the top was locked...
... but I still had a great view for miles in every direction.
This is what the entire city of Williams looks like from the Bill
Williams Lookout Tower.
When do you ever get a chance to see all this radio antenna stuff, this
close? OK, I'm a bit of a radio/tech geek, I guess.
Remarkably, I didn't see any signs of vandalism up
here, nor any efforts to keep people from misbehaving. I'm quite
certain that this equipment would be repeatedly destroyed, in most other
places around the country. But the good people of Williams behave
themselves.
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Here's a tip that seems to be an almost
unknown secret about Bill Williams Mountain: in the summer
months, Bill Williams Mountain is the birthplace of
countless ladybugs. So many are hatched here, that
entire trees turn orange-red with the insects. |
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