Safford

Founded: 1874 (first settlers)
County: Graham
Population: 10,129
Elevation: 2,920 feet
High School Mascot: Bulldogs

Joshua Eaton Bailey, Hiram Kennedy and Edward Tuttle ran into some bad luck during the summer of 1873, when high water decimated their work on dams and canals in Gila Bend. So, they ventured east, arriving in the area that’s now Safford in 1874 and laying out the townsite and a few crude buildings. The town was incorporated in 1901 and named for Territorial Governor Anson P.K. Safford.

Today, the town is known for being the seat of Graham County, as well as a jumping-off point for adventures in the Pinaleño Mountains. The peaks offer the most vertical relief (7,000 feet) of any mountain range in Arizona, and they’re a popular destination for hikers, cyclists, backpackers and campers.

Both sides of Amy Rhodes’ family have lived in Safford for generations, and the metalsmith and jewelry designer is attracted not only to the area’s hometown feel — including Casa Mañana, which she describes as having “the most delicious food in the whole valley” — but also to its landscape.

“If you’re drawn to nature and the outdoors, there’s so much to do in the valley — horseback riding, four-wheeler riding, hunting, fishing,” Rhodes says. “We would grow up riding four-wheelers and horses. We would be gone from morning until it was dinnertime, all day — shredding four-wheelers and horses, building forts everywhere.”

She adds that hot springs and hot tubs pepper the valley, and she fondly recalls regular soaks with her friends and family as she was growing up, sometimes after gathering “Saffordites,” which she describes as weathered-glass stones. Rhodes and her dad still collect them by walking in the sunlight and looking in their shadows.

And then, she says, there’s Mount Graham. “I can’t express how incredibly magical Mount Graham is,” Rhodes says. “It’s known as a sacred portal by the Apache tribes and is protected. There are so  many things to do and so many types of terrain. And at the top of Mount Graham is Riggs Lake. It’s a bit of a haul to get to. You can take kayaks, but you can’t take anything motorized. But that’s part of the beauty of it.”
 

WHERE TO STAY

Cottage Bed and Breakfast
Built in 1890 by cattle rancher and Graham County Sheriff Joseph Graves Olney, the Colonial Revival-style Olney House is on the National Register of Historic Places and reflects the era of Western expansion. Today, three separate accommodations are available on the property: a bungalow, a cottage and the historic home.
1104 S. Central Avenue, Safford, 928-278-3752, cottagebedandbreakfast.com
 

WHERE TO EAT

Frontier Steak & Spirits
The extensive menu at this popular restaurant includes steaks, burgers, wings and heaping baskets of golden-fried chicken fingers, shrimp or cod. The restaurant’s wine list features offerings from nearby Willcox.
1206 E. U.S. Route 70, Safford, 928-348-8400

Casa Mañana
Rolled tacos, cheesy chimichangas, sizzling fajitas and carne asada tortas are among the favorite menu items at this beloved Mexican restaurant. The Gabaldon family started the business in their home in 1951 and, after serving for generations, decided to retire in 2004; they handed off operations to Diane and Dan Hoopes, who keep the traditions alive today.
502 S. First Avenue, Safford, 928-428-3170, casacrave.com
 

ATTRACTIONS

Swift Trail
State Route 366, also known as the Swift Trail, winds for 33.2 miles toward the summit of Mount Graham. After numerous hairpin turns, at an elevation of around 6,000 feet, you’ll begin seeing piñon pines along the road. Then, as you gain more and more elevation, they’ll be replaced by ponderosa pines, spruce and firs. Near the top, you can turn off for a visit to Riggs Lake.
Safford Ranger District,  928-428-4150, fs.usda.gov/coronado

Mount Graham International Observatory
Eastern Arizona College’s Discovery Park Campus conducts weekend tours of the Mount Graham International Observatory from mid-May through October (weather permitting). Telescopes at the observatory include the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope and the University of Arizona’s Submillimeter Telescope.
1651 W. Discovery Park Boulevard, Safford, 928-428-6260, eac.edu/community/discovery-park