The Old Safford Bridge spans the
Gila River along the Black Hills Back
Country Byway.

© George Stocking

>> Click on image to view
it larger in a separate window.

Editor's Note click to expand

For more scenic
drives, pick up a copy
of our book, The Back
Roads. Now in its fifth
edition, the book
($19.95) features 40
of the state's most
scenic drives.
To order a copy, call
800-543-5432
or click here.

Black Hills Byway

By Kelly Kramer

Cruising among the Black Hills near Safford, it's easy to get carried away in an imaginary game of cowboys and Indians. Patches of prickly pear cactuses and fields of native grasses cover the talus slopes, which were crafted by volcanic activity more than 20 million years ago. The foliage would make for some seriously great cover should a battle break out or, better yet, a pretty prickly corner into which the enemy could be backed. Either way, it's easy to see why Geronimo wandered these hills during raids into Mexico and back.

The 21-mile drive begins at its southern point off of U.S. Route 191, approximately 20 miles east of Safford. You'll turn left onto the Black Hills Back Country Byway, a gravel road that's maintained by the Bureau of Land Management. Although a four-wheel-drive vehicle isn't necessary — unless you plan to explore one of the numerous side roads along the way — a high-clearance vehicle is recommended.

Prison laborers built the byway between 1914 and 1920, during which a few managed to escape. Most, however, behaved. Just as the hillsides are great for a Wild West game of hide-and-seek, they're also foreboding. If you venture outside the car for a closer look, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for rattlesnakes and other desert critters.

Several interpretive areas pepper the route, and there are other potential stops along the way. The first comes approximately 3 miles into the drive, where the road crests above the Twin C Ranch. There, you can take a side trip to the Black Hills Rockhound Area in search of fire agate or continue past an abandoned mine shaft. Just down the road, a cinder pit looms red and dusty against the onyx hills. In the 1950s, miners pulled pumice from the pit and trucked it to Safford, where it was converted into cinder blocks.

This is a good spot to look up. On a crisp, clear day, a swath of mountain-studded desert paints the horizon, and the Dos Cabezas Mountains rise a scant 50 miles away. From there, the road climbs steadily into the hills as cholla and bursts of yucca punctuate the abundant prickly pear. The road reaches its highest point near the 12-mile mark, and then descends in a series of twists and turns.

The remnants of the labor camp, where the prisoners rested each evening, are a quick walk from the roadside between Mileposts 16 and 17. The old structures are nothing special — just block and rebar — but they do speak to the ruggedness of the terrain. Life in the Black Hills at the beginning of the 20th century couldn't have been easy. Nor is the sight of the Phelps Dodge open-pit copper mine at Morenci easy on the eyes. Mining is big in Eastern Arizona, just as it was during Arizona's boom days, when cotton and copper were king in this neck of the woods.

The road winds back to U.S. 191 after traversing the Old Safford Bridge, which crosses the Gila River. The bridge, constructed in 1918, doesn't look a day over 39 — its concrete is wrinkle-free. You'll have to use your imagination, though. Unless you're passing through after a good rain, the Gila River usually runs dry.

Tour Guideclick to expand

Note: Mileages are approximate.

Length: 21 Miles one way.

Directions: From Safford, drive east on U.S. Route 70 (concurrently, you'll be on U.S. Route 191) for approximately 10 miles until the two routes split. Turn left onto U.S. 191 and drive north on 191 for 10 miles to the junction with Black Hills Back Country Byway and turn left. Continue 21 miles to the byway's northern junction with U.S. 191. To return to Safford, turn right. Turn left for Clifton, approximately 4 miles away.

Vehicle requirements: A high-clearance vehicle is recommended. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is required to travel the roads that branch from the byway.

Warning: Back-road travel can be hazardous, so beware of weather and road conditions. Carry plenty of water. Don't travel alone, and let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return.

Information: Bureau of Land Management, 928-348-4450 or www.blm.gov

Travelers in Arizona can visit www.az511.gov or dial 511 to get information on road closures, construction, delays, weather and more.

>> Back to Scenic Drives Archive