Arizona’s Black Hills byway is 21 miles of dirt, volcanic peaks, and total silence

Arizona’s wildest byway nobody’s heard of

Twenty-one miles of unpaved road separate two small Arizona towns, and almost nobody drives it.

The Black Hills Back Country Byway runs between Safford and Clifton in the southeastern corner of the state, cutting through volcanic hills, desert washes, and open country where the only traffic you’re likely to see is a mule deer crossing the road ahead of you.

This isn’t a scenic drive you check off a list. It’s the kind of road that pulls you out of your car again and again.

Prison laborers cut this road through the desert

The byway follows a wagon road that once connected Safford and Morenci, and prison laborers built it between 1914 and 1920. Along the west side of the road, a few grave sites mark where some of those workers were buried.

You can still see what the Civilian Conservation Corps left behind in the 1930s, erosion-control work pressed into the hillsides.

Old mining remnants break the skyline here and there, and when you put all of it together, the road itself starts to feel like a document of who worked this land and what it cost them.

Volcanic rock shaped these hills 20 million years ago

The dark rock gives the Black Hills their name. Volcanic activity more than 20 million years ago pushed up these talus slopes, sharp pinnacles, and dissected ridges that now line the route.

Prickly pear cactus and native grasses fill in the gaps between the rock. The formations along the roadside reward close attention.

Pull over and look at them from a few different angles, and the geology starts telling a story that the flat desert floor never could.

Dig your own fire agate from the ground

Fire agate shows a play of color similar to opal, cycling through reds, greens, and blues depending on the light.

The gemstone wasn’t formally recognized until the 1930s, and it occurs naturally in only three places on Earth: Arizona, southern California, and central Mexico.

The Black Hills Rockhound Area, just off the byway, is one of the best spots to find it. Small pieces turn up right on the surface.

Larger stones come out of shallow digs, so bring gloves, a rock hammer, and a hand pick.

The Old Safford Bridge has stood since 1918

Halfway along the byway, the road crosses the Gila River on a bridge built over a century ago.

The Old Safford Bridge is a two-span Luten arch bridge made of reinforced concrete, and the Bureau of Land Management added it to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

The graceful arches over the water are one of the earlier highway engineering accomplishments in Arizona. Park at the pull-off and walk out onto it.

The river runs right below your feet.

Launch a float trip straight from the bridge

The south end of the Old Safford Bridge is a put-in point for floating the Gila River. Spring runoff draws rafters, kayakers, and canoeists when the water runs high.

By summer, when levels drop, inflatable kayaks and tubes get the job done. The river carries you downstream into a remote canyon that no road reaches.

Anglers work the banks near the bridge casting for catfish.

Two smooth-wire fences cross the river 1.3 and 2.7 miles downstream, so scout them from shore before you push through, especially when flows top 100 cubic feet per second.

Four waterways meet at the edge of the Gila Box

The byway brushes the edge of the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area, a 23,000-acre stretch established in 1990 where four separate waterways converge.

Towering cliffs rise above secluded sandy beaches along the water.

Running through all of it is a corridor of lush green riparian growth, cottonwoods and willows and marsh grasses, a ribbon of life cutting straight through dry desert country.

The contrast between the canyon bottom and the surrounding hills catches most people off guard when they first see it.

More than 200 bird species stop here on the flyway

The Bonita Creek Watchable Wildlife Viewing Area sits on a ridge above the river canyon with a viewing deck that gives you a bird’s-eye look at the water below.

More than 200 bird species have been recorded across the conservation area.

Interpretive displays line the overlook, and shade shelters make it a place you’ll want to stay a while.

Spring and fall bring the richest birding of the year, when migrants move through and the canyon fills with activity that most of Arizona never sees.

Mule deer, javelina and bighorn sheep share the road

Mule deer and javelina move through the desert hills along the byway all year. Bighorn sheep work the cliffs above the Gila Box.

Quail scatter across the road in front of your vehicle with some regularity.

The riparian corridor draws a wider mix of wildlife than the surrounding desert because of the year-round water. If you want to see any of it, plan your drive around early morning or dusk.

That’s when the animals move, and that’s when the light on the volcanic hills is worth stopping for.

Stop at Canyon Overlook for a midpoint break

The Canyon Overlook Picnic Area sits midway along the byway and frames a wide view of the Gila River canyon below. Mount Graham rises in the distance beyond the surrounding hills.

Shaded ramadas and barbecue grills make it a natural place to stop and eat something. Concrete tables and paths make the site easy to use.

You’re not going to find this kind of overlook on a paved road with a gift shop at the end of it. The view is just there, and it’s yours, and no one’s charging you for it.

The copper mine tailings glow pink, purple and blue

About halfway through the drive, the Morenci copper mine tailings come into view on the horizon. From a distance, the piles glow in soft shades of pink, purple, cream, and blue.

A kiosk near the eastern end of the byway explains the mining history of the region.

Copper has shaped this corner of Arizona for well over a century, and the scale of what you’re looking at makes that easy to believe.

The industry and the wild desert sit right next to each other out here, and neither one apologizes for it.

Arizona’s darkest skies are waiting after sundown

The remote setting puts you far from any city light, and the dark skies that result are some of the best in Arizona for stargazing. In winter and early spring, snowcapped Mount Graham sits on the western horizon.

The quiet backcountry rewards those who don’t rush back to the highway at sunset. Dispersed camping on public land lets you stay the night with a 14-day limit in any 28-day period.

Riverview Campground is the only spot along the route with potable water, so plan your water supply before you leave the pavement.

Drive the Black Hills Back Country Byway in Arizona

The byway runs between Safford and Clifton off U.S. Highway 191, with the southern end at milepost 139 and the northern end at milepost 160. The road is free and open year-round.

You’ll want a high-clearance two-wheel-drive vehicle at minimum. Trucks and SUVs handle it fine.

Vehicles over 20 feet, including trailers and motorhomes, shouldn’t attempt it. Carry water, fuel, a spare tire, and area maps because cell service is spotty.

Contact the BLM Safford Field Office at 711 S. 14th Ave. in Safford before you go to check current road conditions.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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