Wickenburg

Founded: 1863
County: Maricopa and Yavapai
Population: 7,474
Elevation: 2,202 feet
High School Mascot: Wranglers

Like many small towns across Arizona, Wickenburg’s history is rooted in mining. German prospector Henry Wickenburg founded the town in 1863, after he discovered gold at the nearby Vulture Mine. The discovery led to an influx of miners and ranchers, drawn to the verdant Hassayampa River and the wide-open spaces that characterize the area.

The Vulture Mine became one of Arizona’s richest gold producers, but the challenges of desert extraction and near-constant fluctuations in prices meant that Wickenburg experienced the booms and busts typical of mining towns. Eventually, ranching — both cattle and dude — became the primary industry there.
 

“My family started coming out to one of the big guest ranches here, Rancho de los Caballeros, when I was 3, and I just fell in love with Wickenburg,” says Caroline Markham, who recently retired after 33 years as a wrangler at the ranch, where she was known as “The Singing Cowgirl.” Markham has a master’s degree in vocal performance from Northwestern University and won two Grammy Awards with the Phoenix Chorale.

“I knew Wickenburg like the back of my little hand,” she recalls, “from going to the T&S Variety — where we’d buy wax lips that tasted like cherry and little caps for our cap guns — and, of course, Longhorn Western Wear, where I got my first cowboy hat. Everyone was so friendly.”

Today, the town works to preserve its Western heritage while looking to the future. As more and more people are drawn to the area, the town is expanding, with traffic circles and housing developments popping up along the major thoroughfares. The historic downtown, though, is anchored by restaurants, bars and museums, including the Sigler Western Museum.

“It’s grown,” Markham says. “We’re busy from October to April with team ropers, because we are now the team roping center of the Southwest during the winter. And it’s busier. But it still feels the same. In the downtown area, where the shopping is, there have been a few small changes, but the landmarks are all still here. I’ve been coming here for 65 years, and I’ve lived here for 35 years, and it still feels like the same town to me.”
 

WHERE TO STAY

Rancho de los Caballeros
Whitewashed casitas pepper the landscape at this historic guest ranch, which opened in 1948. Among the amenities available to guests are tennis, pickleball, golf, a world-class spa, fine dining, horseback riding, archery, and skeet and trap shooting. The ranch is situated on 18,000 acres of pristine Sonoran Desert landscape and is consistently named a Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice winners for best dude ranch.
1551 S. Vulture Mine Road, Wickenburg, 928-684-5484, ranchodeloscaballeros.com

Kay El Bar Guest Ranch
In 1909, Romaine Lowdermilk homesteaded the land on which the Kay El Bar now sits. The large adobe lodge that guests enjoy today dates to 1926, and the ranch offers horseback riding, sport shooting, 3D archery and guided ATV tours, along with a pool and hot tub and fine dining.
2655 S. Kay El Bar Road, Wickenburg, 928-684-7593, kayelbar.com
 

WHERE TO EAT

Hassayampa Smokehouse BBQ
At Hassayampa Smokehouse BBQ, there’s a hierarchy of flavor superiority. At the top is the king of all barbecue cuts: brisket. “The brisket is absolutely the best item on the menu,” co-owner Michael Richey says. “It’s the item I worked the hardest on, and I’m very proud of how it’s come out. The Reuben is a close second. We smoke the corned beef in-house and have had amazing feedback about it. We recently added burnt ends, which are quickly becoming one of the top-selling items, and we do ‘Brontosaurus Ribs,’ on Friday and Saturday for dinner, that are amazing — we run out almost every weekend.”
169 E. Wickenburg Way, Wickenburg, 928-684-6123, hassayampabbq.com

Spurs Café
The menu at Spurs Café is simple — loaded omelettes, breakfast bowls and Benedicts, along with fresh salads, burgers, sandwiches and chili. But what most people, tourists and locals alike, love about Spurs is its exceptional service and down-home decor.
172 E. Wickenburg Way, Wickenburg, 928-684-8777, spurscafe.com
 

ATTRACTIONS

Hassayampa River Preserve and Vulture Mountains Recreation Area
After more than 25 years as a Nature Conservancy property, the 770-acre Hassayampa River Preserve was recently integrated into the 71,000-acre Vulture Mountains Recreation Area, which is overseen by Maricopa County’s Parks and Recreation Department. The result is expanded protection for the countless desert species that inhabit the area, including more than 300 bird species. Visitors can camp, hike and participate in guided activities.
49614 U.S. Route 60, Wickenburg, 928-684-2772, nature.org

Sigler Western Museum
Formerly Desert Caballeros Western Museum, the Sigler highlights the history and artistry of the desert Southwest and hosts an annual, juried, all-women show, along with permanent exhibits that feature artists such as Charles Marion Russell, Gerard Curtis Delano and Frederic Remington.
21 N. Frontier Street, Wickenburg, 928-684-2272, westernmuseum.org