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TUCSON - As soon as you step foot on the Romero Ruin Trail, you're walking along side history.

Park ranger Jack McCabe said, "When archaeologists first came out to this site, they noticed some rocks lying on the ground that gave them a clue that there may have been something here a long time ago".

Turns out those rocks were part of a wall, containing a village settled by the Hohokam Indians in 500 A.D. This area was settled again in the 1800's by Francisco Romero. "He was a Spanish settler who came out in 1830 to establish a cattle ranch here where Catalina State Park is", said McCabe.

The rock walls aren't the only signs of past life here on the Romero Ruin Trail. When you get to the trash mound, keep your eyes on the ground. You'll come across some flat, dark pieces that look like rock, but are actually ancient pottery.

"They were here for a thousand years, they've been scattered all over this area. One of our main tenants here is you're welcome to pick them up, but you have to leave them behind. You can't take them home", said McCabe.

Further down the finely manicured trail is an ancient sports stadium; a ball court, used to help the Hohokams build teamwork within their society.

As far as what type of game they played? McCabe said, "There's different variations on what was done, but probably not too much different from a combination of football and basketball that we have today".

All of this history found within a loop trail, that's 0.75 miles in length in the shadows of the Catalina Mountains.

To see the Romero Ruin Trail map, click here.

For more information on scheduled guided hikes at Catalina State Park, click here.