Three Must See Places To Visit In Southern Arizona!
An old house in the ghost town of Duquesne
If you like adventure, searching for ghosts, thrills and chills, and amazing desert scenery, these three must-see places should be on your bucket list! Arizona has plenty of ghost towns to whet your curious appetite and these unique ghost towns certainly will not disappoint.
Imagine yourself in the 1880s, as mining and ranching were favored during this period. Silver was a trendy item to be mined, maybe something you could wear as a piece of jewelry or sell to the highest bidder for cash, but there were other precious metals mined in Arizona during the 1800s. Maybe you owned acres of land, with lush grasses (in Arizona?), plenty of rain in the summer to ward off a drought, and endless cattle, drinking from your streams, nibbling off your grass as you look at a colorful sunset, full of oranges, reds and yellows.
Living in the 1880s could have been a delightful way to live in the state of Arizona, full of challenges of building new towns, discovering metals to make you rich or building a homestead for your family. Maybe similar to Laura Ingalls from Little House On the Prairie books (excellent books), but yet different and unique in a hot desert setting with mild winters and a vast landscape before your eyes.
Ready to get started?
Our first stop will be Harsaw:
Ruins of a pool hall in Harshaw, Az
For now, we are going to set our clocks backward (remember Back to the Future?) and start on Harshaw Road, from Highway 82 in Patagonia. A 4x4 will be a good idea to drive these roads! This dirt road will take us to these fascinating places. Our first stop will be the town of Harshaw. Harshaw was founded in the 1870s by David Harshaw, who was originally looking for a place for his cattle to graze. Southern Arizona is prime for grazing as it has tall grasses and wide meadows. As David explored the area, he found the area rich in silver. At one time this town had 200 buildings, including stores, a post office, hotels, blacksmiths and more. It thrived during this time, especially with the mining, but all good things seem to run out, and it was time for the mines to close sometime during the 1960s.
As you drive slowly through this town, notice the crumbly buildings made of brick, but still standing for you to see. Lets pull over and take a step out of our vehicles to explore. There is an old building, a cemetery and some foundations left that are accessible for us to see on the main road. There is a creek nearby. In Arizona, a lot of the creeks are dry due to lack of rain, and today is no different. Make sure to take photos of this town as it is in a beautiful area, full of green grass and lush trees.
Here is a link to drive to Harshaw.
Ready for the next town? Lets hop back into our vehicles as we still have more to see!
Let's drive to the town of Duquesne.
Ruins of an assay office in Duqesne
I could definitely feel the ghosts, as if I was being watched! How about you? Duquesne has old buildings still intact, but are not safe enough for us to walk in. Lets stop for a minute to take a stroll down memory in Duquesne.
Mining was the name of the game for this town as well. Silver was the main precious metal to be mined but also lead, copper ore and zinc. This town took a bit of time to be developed as the Apache Indians raided this part of southern Arizona. George Westinghouse, of Westinghouse Electric Company, bought a house in this town. He opened the Duquesne Mining & Reduction Company and major production started in 1912. This town once had 1000 residents, several businesses including a brothel and a boarding house in one, other commercial buildings and a school. This was a very busy and active town in its time. As with mining, it closed and the residents left. By 1920 Duquesne was on its way of becoming a ghost town.
I do not know about you, but I almost feel like I can be a part of this old town as there is still so much of the town up and maybe even ready for business, if we could remodel some of the buildings.
Here is a link for directions to Duquesne.
**Special Note: there has been a revitalization recently in this town. People are starting to build homes and the original town is being demolished. Drive with care as these new homes are on private drives.
Are you ready for the last town on our bucket list?
Let's drive to the town of Lochiel!
Grassy Views with a sweeping tree and mountains
Imagine it is the summer season, with a touch of monsoon clouds coming into sight, cresting over the mountains, gathering together to bring a downpour to all the inhabitants below. The ride to Lochiel is a colorful adventure, lots of dirt, and for Arizona, the best landscape you can see! We are back in our vehicles as we a drive to the last town on our bucket list of Southern Arizona must see places, and for this drive, take it slowly and drink up the diverse landscape before you.
Do you see the patch of shade ahead with a huge tree and thick branch hanging down, providing a delight of rest and coolness for the weary traveler? This area was once home to Mexican ranchers in the late 1800s. The name, Lochiel, was originally called La Noria, meaning a wheel drawn well. A rancher by the name of Colin Cameron of Scottish descent renamed this border town to the present name of Lochiel. This small area started by a Scot, not by anyone in Mexico, as Mexico is just past the mountains in the above photo.
This town was split when surveyors decided that a part of it was in the country of Mexico and the other in the United States. It mainly stayed a cattle grazing area until 1998, and it is now a nature preserve. I love nature preserves! Do you? They are so peaceful, relaxing and quiet, and sometimes I think we all need that sometimes.
There are old buildings left, a school, a teacherage, and an adobe church. It is worth visiting these old relics and contemplate how people long ago lived in this place. There are mature trees, cascading along the road. Take a picnic lunch under the shade of these ancient trees and enjoy the sweeping views among yourself. Do not forget to visit the Fray Marcos de Niza monument. He was a missionary and the first European to visit what is now Arizona.
Well, all good things come to an end, and so does our road trip. Did you enjoy getting to know these fabulous places, the history and rich culture? We will go back the way we came, and that way, you could explore some more, take the time to learn about Arizona’s rich history, and the people that lived here so long ago.
Here is a link for directions to Lochiel. Even though this is a 2wd road, please check road and weather conditions before attempting this wondrous journey. I hope you enjoy Three Must-See Places To Visit In Southern Arizona!
Share with us what you saw on these amazing trails!