![]() Named for the shape formed by the three canyons at its center, Gila Box Riparian NCA consists of 10,500 acres of rugged beauty. If you would rather sleep under the stars there’s a beautiful place about 20 miles from town called the Gila Box NCA “National Conservation Area”. They had left Gila Bend in the winter of 1873-74 because their work on canals and dams had been destroyed by high water the previous summer. Safford was founded by Joshua Eaton Bailey, Hiram Kennedy, and Edward Tuttle. Follow the road another 25 miles and you’ll intersect Hwy 70 just west of Pima, Arizona.Ĭontinuing east on the 70 you’ll quickly be in Safford, AZ where you can find gas, food, or a room for the night if need be. This road heads northeast and climbs out of the Aravaipa Valley, to your west are beautiful views of the valley below and to the east is 10,000-foot Mount Graham. These mountains are part of the Madrean Sky Islands located in southern Arizona and New Mexico.Īfter spending some time exploring or camping in Aravaipa Creek, double back about 8 miles to catch West Klondyke road towards Safford. Klondyke is at the mouth of Aravaipa Creek, a drainage between three mountain ranges, the Galiuro Mountains, the Santa Teresa Mountains, and the Pinaleno Mountains. Named after its Canadian counterpart by folks returning from the gold rush, who unfortunately didn’t check the spelling, the town wound up with a "y" instead of an "i" in its name. The town of Klondyke is in the heart of the Aravaipa Valley and was founded in the early 1900's. Bonny shot a local blacksmith for hacking on him.įrom Bonita continue northwest towards the settlement of Klondyke. The Bonita Store in Bonita was formerly a saloon where, rumor has it, William H. They offer members unlimited access to a challenging 2.75-mile road course and first-class facilities during hours of operation.Īfter passing the track you’ll be in Wilcox, originally known as "Maley", the town was founded in 1880 as a whistle-stop on the Southern Pacific Railroad because of its position approximately halfway between El Paso, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona.Īfter grabbing some gas and a snack in Wilcox head north towards Bonita, Arizona. ![]() You’ll also pass the entrance to Inde Motorsports Ranch, a members only private raceway and motorsports resort. This area is jointly owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Along the way you’ll pass the turn to the Mule Shoe Ranch, The Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area (CMA) is 55,000 acres of rugged beauty. The river’s major importance is as a host to two-thirds of the avian diversity in the United States, including 100 species of breeding birds and almost 300 species of migrating birds.Īfter continuing south, the route turns east at the Three-Links Road towards the city of Wilcox. The San Pedro, which flows north out of Mexico, is the last major, undammed desert river in the American Southwest. The green valley floor contrast sharply with the arid hillsides of cactus and rock. Once over the pass the route continues south along the San Pedro River valley. Cattle were pushed over the pass, auctioned, and shipped out on the railroad in Tucson The route was originally developed as a means of connecting the ranches in the San Pedro River Valley to Tucson. ![]() Follow the switchbacks through a desert landscape of saguaros and ocotillos to a broad plateau covered with high grasslands. The route starts at Redington Road and winds up and over a pass between the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains, an area with a few cattle ranches and lot of beautiful open vistas of the surrounding mountains. I’ll start the description of the eastern half of the Tour in Tucson. ![]() The route is not overly technical but will test a rider’s ability to handle dehydration, weather, desert creatures, dust, wind, navigation, and full days of riding. Our club, Trail Riders of Southern Arizona, has developed an adventure ride of over 1,000 miles, we call it the Sky Island Adventure Tour. ![]()
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