Dave Wilson (1) (1965–)

"There are ancient treasures hidden across the American Southwest. Tucked away in remote canyons are hundreds of ruins, cultural treasures that provide a wealth of information about the past--and most people never visit them.

"Hiking Ruins Seldom Seen is your ticket to these enchanted, little-known sites. It will lead you on wonderful day hikes and overnight trips to some of the most spectacular areas of the Southwest.

"Hiking Ruins Seldom Seen is for amateur archaeologists and those who enjoy heading into the wilderness. It contains maps and detailed directions to the remote sites, provides water availability information, and points out hazards on the way. A description of each archaeological site is provided, along with notes on the scenery and wildlife of the area.

"All of the ruins and rock art sites in Hiking Ruins Seldom Seen are located off the beaten path and are relatively unknown to the public. Don't forget to take Hiking Ruins Seldom Seen on your next Southwest adventure."
~~back cover

There's a reason these ruins and cultural treasures are relatively unknown to the public and thus seldom visited. At least they were seldom visited before this book was published. The location of archaeological sites is generally not published, because once the location of these cultural treasures are known they are generally "enhanced" by spray painted graffiti or else bulldozed to uncover artifacts, which are sold to unsuspecting tourists or scofflaw collectors.

This book was on my wishlist for several years, and now I have no idea why I wanted it. These guides to archaeological sites or rock art sites (and there are many of them, and web sites too) makes me frothing-at-the-mouth angry! The only redeeming thing about this book is that its one less in the public domain ... I'll keep it, just to keep it out of the hands of vandals and thieves. I don't generally believe in book burning, but I'd burn them all if I could!… (meer)