Mattie's Grave

Mattie Earp, born Celia Blaylock, died in the short-lived mining boom town of Pinal after her famous husband, Wyatt Earp, left her for an actress at the end of their tumultuous time in Tombstone, Arizona. The stay in Tombstone became history with the shoot-out at the OK Corral, where Wyatt, his two brothers, and Doc Holiday tangled with members of the Cowboys, a loose band of outlaws who rustled cattle in Mexico and drove then north to sell in Arizona. Morgan Earp was killed after the OK Corral. Wyatt went on to be successful in several ventures and a favorite among the stars of early Western movies. Mattie turned to prostitution, alcohol, and drugs in Pinal and committed suicide on July 3, 1888. Pinal didn’t last long, suffering the fate of many mining towns. There’s virtually nothing left of Pinal today except for the Historic Pinal Pioneer Cemetary and Mattie’s grave.

To reach the grave, travel FR 8, which runs east/west to the north of Pickett Mountain, to a sign for the spur FR 2402. Turn south at the marked intersection with FR 2402, but bear right/west instead of following FR 2402, which goes off to a ridge overlooking Superior. The spur ends at the cemetery gate. Mattie’s grave is just inside the gate.

The trail is easy dirt with small embedded and loose rocks. There are a few ruts on the way to the grave.  

A handful of large and level campsites with rock fire rings sit alongside the spur to the cemetery. The campsites make an excellent base for visiting the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, a massive collection of desert plants from all over the globe.