The Gila Valley is a base for the outdoors: a 10,720-foot mountain, a spring-fed lake, a river canyon, off-road dunes and dark night skies, all close to Safford.
Mount Graham
Mount Graham is the highest peak in Graham County and the southernmost 10,000-foot summit in the continental United States. The Swift Trail Parkway (AZ-366) climbs from the desert floor through five ecological zones. The first 22 miles are paved and the rest is graded Forest Service road, with tight switchbacks. Plan for cooler weather and slow driving.
- The upper road usually closes from mid-November through mid-April because of snow, so late spring through fall is the time to go.
- Riggs Flat Lake, at about 8,600 feet, is a stocked trout lake with a campground generally open from April 15 through mid-November. Vehicles over 22 feet are not recommended.
- Areas above about 9,800 feet have access limits to protect the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel, which lives only in these mountains.
- The 2017 Frye Fire burned parts of the high country near the summit. Lower forests remain green.
Under the stars
Tours of the Mount Graham International Observatory, home of the Large Binocular Telescope, leave from Eastern Arizona College’s Discovery Park on select Saturdays from late spring through October. Reservations are required, and tours often fill. Discovery Park itself is free year-round: a 120-acre campus with desert trails, disc golf, a spacecraft simulator and an astronomy gallery.
Water and warmth
Roper Lake State Park has a 30-acre lake with fishing, swimming, paddleboarding and about five miles of trails, and Dankworth Village, a field exhibit on the Southwest’s early inhabitants. The park’s natural hot spring tubs are closed for good. For hot soaking, Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area has fenced concrete tubs fed by artesian springs next to 2,000 acres of off-road dunes. Kachina Mineral Springs Spa in Safford offers indoor baths. Cluff Ranch Wildlife Area near Pima has fishing ponds and quiet trails.
The Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area holds 23 miles of the Gila River and 15 miles of Bonita Creek. In spring runoff it is a good place to kayak or raft.
Back roads and big country
The Black Hills Back Country Byway is a rugged 21-mile unpaved drive between Safford and Clifton. Take a high-clearance vehicle. The nearby Black Hills Rockhound Area is free for collecting fire agate. Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, about 50 to 55 miles by road, is a permit-only canyon with a year-round creek, and the BLM limits daily entry. The Mt. Graham Municipal Golf Course in Thatcher is an 18-hole, par-72 course with mountain views.
In town
Downtown Safford is walkable. Pick up a free self-guided walking tour brochure at the Graham County Chamber of Commerce: it covers 25 historic buildings, including the 1916 Graham County Courthouse. The Eastern Arizona Museum in Pima is open Thursday through Saturday, 9 AM to 3 PM. Kids have the Thatcher Splash Park in summer and Firth Park and Glenn Meadows Park in Safford.
Day trips
Willcox wine country is about an hour south. Morenci’s huge copper mine and the Coronado Trail Scenic Byway, over 120 miles along US-191, lie to the northeast. Salt River Canyon, the so-called mini Grand Canyon, is northwest of the valley on US-60.