Length: 3 miles roundtrip

Difficulty: Easy

National Park: Fort Bowie National Historic Site

Journal: "Water Water Everywhere"

**Kid Friendly Hike**

From Willcox, take AZ186 south towards the Chiricahua National Monument. Turn left onto Apache Pass Road and follow for six miles to the Fort Bowie Trailhead. The Ruins Trail begins here.

Trail Description:

This is the only National Park in which visitors cannot drive up to the visitor's center. Instead, there is a 1.5 mile footpath that you must hike to get there. The hike is easy, and it is full of history.

The footpath begins with a gentle descent to the desert floor. At 0.1 miles, you will find the ruins of a old mining shack. Continuing along, at 0.5 miles, you will come across the ruins of the old Butterfield Stage Station, and nearby, the trail intersects with the famous Butterfield Overland Stage Route. At 0.75 miles, you will encounter the old post cemetary, where soldiers had once been buried. At this point, you are halfway to the fort.

After passing by the cemetary, the trail crosses through a wash and then passes by the ruins of the Chiricahua Apache Indian Agency, as well as a replica of an old Apache village, with a hut, a horse hitch, and grindstones. After that, the trail begins to climb towards the old Fort Bowie. Just before you crest the hill, you will come to Apache Spring (at 1.25 miles). There is water flowing here.

As you crest the hill, you will see ruins aplenty from Fort Bowie. The visitor center is located at the end of the trail. There are souvenirs for sale here, as well as bottled water and sodas. The exhibits are very interesting, too, so be sure to stop inside to have a look. Feel free to wander around the ruis as well.

Return the way you came, or complete the loop by hiking over Overlook Ridge, which will take you back to the Ruins Trail, 0.5 miles from the trailhead.