COMMUNITY
Hidden gems In Hidden Valley and Thunderbird Farms
BY BRIAN PETERSHEIM JR.
A
T FIRST GLANCE, UNINCORPORATED MARICOPA seems to be nothing more than dirt, mountains and tumbleweeds. But as you explore the sprawling, rural desert communities called Hidden Valley and Thunderbird Farms — areas that still claim a Maricopa address — you might just find a few hidden gems. Here are some interesting things to do and see in unincorporated Maricopa, rich in history,
entertainment value and whimsy.
PYRAMID SCHEME 2457 S. Warren Road
No, this eccentric Hidden Valley home doesn’t contain a deceased pharaoh. Step into this pyramid-shaped property and watch the ground-level foyer quickly give way to a subterranean spruce-wood interior resembling the upstate chalets of Flagstaff. Almost all its 20 windows are cut or stained glass. The home’s original owners started building the pyramid in 1989 and became residents in 1992. Once listed at $1.1 million, it was relisted in 2012 for $295,000. After more than a year on the market, it was sold at that price on New Year’s Eve in 2013.
ROCK ART Northwest corner of West Fulcar Road and North Hidden Valley Road Did you know Maricopa is home to 1,000-year-old petroglyphs? About 200 Hohokam petroglyphs are etched into a pile of boulders at the base of a mountain range on a stretch of road just outside city limits. If you decide to visit the site, be respectful of the petroglyphs and the millennium-old stories they tell. “People would take their kids to the site because the petroglyphs do tell a story,” says Elaine Peters, director of the Ak-Chin Him-Dak EcoMuseum. “Whether it is hunting, spirituality or what have you, they do tell a story.”
InMaricopa.com | February 2024
38
Powered by FlippingBook