Back Road Adventure

A dirt road often is more than just a link between two points on a map. A road such as the one that leads to Camp Rucker in the Chiricahua Mountains also is a link between two points on a calendar. In the spacious and largely unpopulated land-scape of southeastern Arizona, a traveler can leave the bustle of a modern city like Tucson and, in a few hours, preferably in spring, summer, or fall, wander among the evocative remnants of a 100-year-old military supply post deep in Apache country. After leaving Tucson, signs of human habitation dwindle. In the span of a few hours, the calendar seems to oxidize and crack.

RETURN TO THE DAYS OF FRONTIER DUTY IN THE CHIRICAHUAS AT CAMP RUCKER

(BELOW) In 1896 a homesteader built a barn at Camp Rucker using wood from structures at the old fort. (OPPOSITE PAGE) Yucca flourishes below the Squaretop Hills, east of Camp Rucker.

The present recedes, and the past begins to come alive. In another era, soldiers in dusty uniforms might be seen riding by, accompanied by Indian scouts. Smoke from the post's cooking fires would rise in the distance. And drawing near, the riders might inhale the fragrance of baking bread. The year would be 1878, maybe 1880. But there would be an edge to this idyllic scene. At any moment, shots could echo off the lichen-covered bluffs and spires high above the canyon. This was the land of the Chiricahua Apache, and, while most had been moved to a reservation in central Arizona by the time Camp Rucker was established in 1878, some warriors still roamed the hills. A few years later in this same area, the Apache were led by the tenacious Geronimo. All that was nearly 120 years ago. Today there is only enough left of the post to suggest the vicissitudes that followed the collision of one culture with another, and the collision of both cultures with a landscape in which the canyon walls were steep and the water scarce. Camp Rucker now is a silent monument tucked among oak trees along a rocky creek'in the Coronado National Forest at an altitude of 5,600 feet. On the western slope of the Chiricahuas, the old post is about 23 miles east of the small farming town of Elfrida and 40 miles north of the border town of Douglas. There was a light rain when I visited on a weekday in February. The creek was running full, and from time to time small groups of deer appeared and stood watching, alert to every movement, in the nearby forest. On the road in, I encountered a few coyotes and roadrunners but not a single human.

Back Road Adventure

There are several approaches visitors can take to Camp Rucker. If time is a factor, the fastest way is to follow Interstate Route 10 east from Tucson about 66 miles to Exit 331, then U.S. Route 191, formerly Route 666, south approximately 30 miles to the outskirts of Elfrida; watch for the sign for Rucker. About four miles north of Elfrida, there's a 22.2-mile-long dirt road that heads east to the entrance to Rucker Canyon Recreation Area. Directly west of old Camp Rucker, there are several campgrounds and a tiny lake. (However, the campgrounds' water supply is turned off in winter.) Immediately upon entering the recreation area, "Camp Rucker" appears on the left. This is a national forest campground (fee area) and not to be confused with the historical site up the road.

Instead of turning into the recreation area, continue straight for .9 of a mile and stop at a pullout and an unlocked gate on the left. There is no sign to identify the old post. Walk 200 feet, and the rustic remains of Camp Rucker will be visible. While the dirt road from Elfrida usually is smooth (any ordinary sedan can handle it), the same cannot be said of the route to Rucker that begins at the Forest Service's district office on Leslie Canyon Road in Douglas. However, the Leslie Canyon Road is more scenic, and getting to this starting point gives a visitor a chance to get off the interstate highway sooner. To get to Leslie Canyon Road, leave I-10 at Exit 304 in Benson and continue south and east on State Route 80. The road will lead through St. David, Tombstone, and the old copper-mining town of Bisbee. Douglas is 24 miles east of Bisbee on State 80.

When you come through the underpass at the entrance to Douglas, veer to your left, and in a few blocks you'll see the district ranger's office. Stop there to pick up maps and get last-minute instructions.

Leslie Canyon Road heads north from the ranger station. It is dirt from start to finish, and it can get bumpy. It is advisable to use a high-clearance vehicle. Purchase food and gas in Douglas and always carry water. There are no services along the 37.5 miles between the ranger headquarters and Camp Rucker. Some 16 miles after leaving the Forest Service office, the road winds through a narrow pass between the Swisshelm and Pedregosa mountains. The high peaks of the Chiricahuas become visible to the northeast as the road skirts a steep rhyolite cliff and drops into the desert scrub and miles of wild grasses.

About five miles beyond the pass, you'll see a sign for Hunt Canyon on the right. Do not turn. Continue straight, and in 7.8 miles you'll come to a narrow wooden bridge. Just beyond the bridge, the road forks. Take the right fork into Rucker (the left is marked private and leads to a ranch). It is exactly four miles from the fork to Camp Rucker; or 6.7 miles from the wooden bridge.

As you enter Rucker Canyon, notice the creek on the left. In warm weather, it may be a trickle. After a storm, it can turn into a life-threatening torrent, which is precisely what it did in the summer of 1878, when Lt. Austin Henely, who had just left the post trader's store, tried to cross it.

Second Lt. John A. (Tony) Rucker saw Henely swept away by a wall of water and spurred his horse into the creek in a courageous but vain attempt to rescue him. Several hours later, both men were found drowned.

TIPS FOR TRAVELERS

Camp Rucker, which up to that point was known as Camp Supply, was renamed for Rucker, the son of a prominent general. There is a message in this tragedy. Camp Rucker is located at the confluence of two creeks. Visitors must rock hop across one of them to get to the path that leads to the old officers' quarters, the bakery, and an enormous log-sided barn, as well as the small ranch house that was built after Camp Rucker was abandoned by the Army. Creeks of this kind are entirely predictable in southeastern Arizona canyons: if a storm rages up canyon, sooner or later the rain will catapult to the bottom, dragging trees and boulders with it. Be careful.Back-road travel can be hazardous if you are not prepared for the unexpected. Whether traveling in the desert or in the high country, be mindful of weather and road conditions and be sure you and your vehicle are in top shape and you have plenty of water. Don't travel alone and let someone at home know where you're going and when you plan to return.