If you’ve already driven some of the other routes in this book, this one will be a change of pace. There isn’t a single white-knuckle mountain road, just gentle, mostly empty highways, and the total distance is only about 200 miles. There’s wonderful scenery, especially the amazing “hoodoos” in Chiricahua National Monument, but the primary attractions this time around are historical, with the vast, open countryside serving as context. Hike to the ruins of Fort Bowie, tour an underground copper mine, or watch a gunfight at the O.K. Corral. This is the Old West at its best, with some good fun for the whole family.
The Chiricahuas
Leaving Willcox, take the first exit off Interstate 10, Haskell Avenue, and follow it 4.5 miles to East Maley Street. This is the beginning of AZ 186, which will lead you out of Willcox to the southeast. The mountains looming in the distance are the Chiricahuas, so called because they were the territory of the Chiricahua Apaches. This rugged range is part of southern Arizona’s archipelago of “Sky Islands,” isolated peaks that support remarkably diverse ecosystems (see sidebar, “Sky Islands”). Surrounded by semiarid desert for miles in every direction, the Chiricahuas have pine forests in their upper reaches and are home to a wide range of wildlife, including mountain lions, ocelots, bears, and even the occasional jaguar.
Back in the frontier days, the latter half of the 1800s, this area was the scene of some of the most vicious fighting in the Indian Wars. The Apaches were the last holdouts against western expansion, and they didn’t let go easily. The two best-remembered warriors of that era, Cochise and Geronimo, were both Chiricahua Apaches, and both spent much of their lives in these mountains.
AZ 186 is a purpose-built highway with a single destination, the Chiricahua National Monument, but you can also see the Fort Bowie National Historic Site if you don’t mind a slight detour along the way. Fort Bowie was the headquarters of the Army garrison charged with bringing the renegade Apaches to heel. The fort was well provisioned, well manned, and extremely well armed. Even so, it took the Army more than 20 years to accomplish its mission—strong testament to the cunning and persistence of the Apaches. Armies are adept at fighting other armies. But when the enemy is truly dug in, so at home they’re like part of the landscape? That’s another kind of fight altogether, and it was a tough one, for both sides.
To see the old fort, keep a sharp eye out for Mogul Road, about 20 miles out of Willcox. Turn left (east), and follow that unpaved road for about 7 miles, until it joins Apache Pass Road, where you’ll find the parking area for Fort Bowie. The hike to the fort from here is about 3 miles round-trip and is rated moderate; interpretive signs will guide you. The fort, which was abandoned in 1894, is a fascinating ruin of crumbling adobe walls and foundations spread over a large area. Also on the site are a small museum and the ruins of the Butterfield Stage Coach stop, the target of many Apache attacks and the site of several bloody battles. As you hike back out through Apache Pass, imagine how it must have felt for the young soldiers who were stationed here 150 years ago. They were in forbidding terrain, surrounded by hostile Indians, and if there was trouble they couldn’t handle, the closest reinforcements were too far away to save them.
| The Mexican BorderIn the old days (not so very long ago), a day trip to a Mexican border town was no more complicated than a trip to the mall, and it had the same essential purpose: shopping! Bargains were everywhere—everything from kitschy souvenirs to handcrafted furniture and fine jewelry—and all the prices were negotiable. Throw in some mariachi music and cheap tequila and you had a sure-fire recipe for a good time. For decades, U.S. travelers crossed over the border by the millions each year.Sadly, times have changed. Between heightened security concerns on the American side of the border, and the rise of drug cartels on the Mexican side of the border, that carefree, fiesta, anything-goes atmosphere has been dampened. For a time, rival drug gangs and the Mexican military fought for control of the border country, and in cities like Juarez the violence was horrific. The immediate crisis has abated, but the U.S. Department of State continues to advise citizens to “defer non-essential travel” to the Mexican border states, to drive only on the main roads, and not to travel at night.Should you make that trip across the border? That’s up to you. Cautious travelers may wish to pass up the opportunity. Others may note that in Agua Prieta and Nogales, the two principal border towns accessible from Arizona, tourists have never been targets of cartel violence, not even during the worst of the troubles, and the border towns do have their charms. For a day trip, all you need is a valid passport. To keep things simple, leave your vehicle in a secure lot on the U.S. side of the border and walk across; that will speed your crossing, in both directions. (If you do drive across, be aware that travel by car in Mexico, anywhere beyond the border area, requires special permits, tourist cards, and Mexican auto insurance). If you do any shopping, purchases up to $800 per person are duty free; and patience is a virtue. The customs lines are often very slow. |
Leaving the Fort Bowie parking area, head back west on Apache Pass Road; at the intersection with Mogul Road, stay left, and keep going until you rejoin AZ 186, just a bit south of where you left it. After 8.6 miles, AZ 186 intersects AZ 181. Turn left (east), and follow the signs into Chiricahua National Monument. The attraction here is the remarkable terrain: a wonderland of eroded pillars and spires called hoodoos, created by violent geological activity some 27 million years ago. Many of the hoodoos are capped by seemingly balanced rocks that look like they might come tumbling down at any moment. Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive takes in many of the monument’s most interesting features along its 8-mile paved route. (Note that the road is 16 miles round-trip; it is not a “loop” road as some guides suggest.) There are many pullouts and access to trailheads for those who want to explore the park’s interior more fully. The 12,000-acre wilderness area, which has been protected since 1924, was sacred to the Apache people, who called it “the land of standing-up rocks.”
Chiricahua National Monument
| Chiricahuas Highlights |
| Fort Bowie National Historic Site3500 S. Apache Pass Road, Bowie, AZ 85605(520) 847-2500nps.gov/foboChiricahua National MonumentE. Bonita Canyon Road, Willcox, AZ 85643(520) 824-3560nps.gov/chir |
Douglas and Bisbee
Leaving Chiricahua National Monument, follow AZ 181 out of the park. Stay on it as it turns south, and then west, before terminating at US 191 in the small farming community of Sunizona. Bear left, and drive due south on US 191 about 40 miles, through Elfrida and McNeal, until you come to the town of Douglas, on the Mexican border. Douglas was founded in 1902 as the smelter town for the copper mines at Bisbee. In the early 1980s, as the price of copper plummeted worldwide, a bitter mineworkers strike broke out, disrupting production in Bisbee’s Lavender Pit for nearly three years. That one-two punch was a knockout. The mines in Bisbee were closed, and with them the two smelters in Douglas.
Despite that blow to the local economy, Douglas still prospers, largely because of its proximity to Mexico. While you’re here, you might consider a visit to Agua Prieta, just over the border in the Mexican state of Sonora. This city of 80,000, while much bigger than neighboring Douglas, has a small-town feel and the unmistakable ambience of Old Mexico, and it is considered one of the safest of the Mexican border towns. There are bargains to be had in the shops, not to mention duty-free tequila (see sidebar “Mexican Border”).
Lobby with Tiffany, stained glass, Gadsden Hotel, Douglas, Arizona
While