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Jackson Cabin/Muleshoe Ranch Road
Willcox,
Arizona
(Cochise County)
Last Updated:
05/09/2021
Trail Information
Highlights
Jackson Cabin / Muleshoe Road is one of those iconic trails for which the reward of the journey rivals that of the destination. The Nature Conservancy maintains the riparian areas at the beginning of the trail and has graciously allowed access to these wonders. You will see amazing views of rock cliff faces, mountain vistas, desert springs, seeps, and abundant plant life where springs have pushed up from below, nourishing abundant wildlife such as coatimundi and deer javelina, and a wide variety of watchable birdlife.
The views of the rhyolite rock formations along the western face of the Galiuro Mountains could very well challenge the scenery experienced in the canyon country of southern Utah. The start of this trail is about 110 miles from Tucson. It's a long day to get to the end, but it's certainly worth it, for the payoff is a 100-plus-year-old cabin teeming with history. Bring your tent, bring your camp stove, bring your ice chest because this is a fabulous place to turn into an overnight adventure. In fact, the position of the sun on the way in (afternoon setting reds) and the way out (morning freshness) completely changes the views and makes this almost two different trips.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
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Trail Reviews
Partially Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 03/20/2023
Difficulty Accuracy:
Spot On
Great trail! And yes, there is ghost!
Or, something unexplainable. While camping on the BLM part, I and my son were awoken to what sounded like a vehicle coming up the trail. It slowed down and stopped next to us. I looked to see nothing there.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 04/12/2021
A truly epic trail! We followed Jim's suggestion and camped at the cabin under an absolutely beautiful sky. The trail meanders through valleys, along the base of a mountain range right out of Western movies, and eventually descends into the valley where the cabin is also surrounded by dramatic peaks. There wasn't much wildlife to be seen as the lack of good monsoon season has rendered all the creeks dry. We did see a pair of white-tail deer and wild turkeys as if on cue. Despite the lack of running water, the vegetation in the area is very lush. The trail itself is a great one, and is confidence inspiring. The scenery and landscape along the way is awesome and I think it'd be a crime to not take your time and check things out along the way. If you head up to the cabin, please bring a new log book to donate to the cabin!
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 08/29/2020
Did this on my own. Was greater by a very nice man from the conservatory at the sign in waypoint- for safety/legal reasons make sure you sign in and out. I left that waypoint at 6am and got back from spending and hour at the cabin at 1pm. Trail was open but there were 1 or 2 spots on level ground where you had to inch passed fallen trees from the monsoon. I would recommend a hatchet on your trip if you go after a monsoon in case you need to clear a fallen branch. I did not see a single person the entire trip and the cabin looked to be in good shape. I would pay close attention to the weather on this trail, if a monsoon hits there are several washes that could present a problem depending on the flow. The only place to get a usable cell signal is on the high ground prior to Redfield Canyon in between waypoints 13 and 14, if going alone this might be a place to send a text to a friend texting them you are on your way in or out. It is Arizona so watch for snakes, had a nice sized one cross the trail in front of me and could easily make him for a snake at 50 yards away. I took time to read all the pages in the logs at the cabin, there are reports of bears, did not see any visible tracks or poop. Did see a bunch of rat poop in the cabin because they live there. If you leave items for other travelers made sure they are rat proof. Also, if you plan to use the cabin as shelter you may want a cot to keep you off the ground from the rat poop dust that could harm you.
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