Ghost Town Loop

full-limited Icon
4.2/5 (14 reviews)
Patagonia, Arizona (Santa Cruz County)
Last Updated: 05/19/2022

Trail Information

Highlights

The Ghost town loop is one of the most iconic and scenic day trips in Southern Arizona. If you love history, and really want to get a feel for what the old west must have been like, this is the trail for you. The 45-mile loop road travels through five ghost towns in various states of preservation with marvelous riparian areas, flowing grasslands, and scenic mountain vistas. If you are looking for some free camping, this overland route does not disappoint. There are numerous roadside dispersed camping spots with plenty of shade. Some are creekside and others near historic spots. The area has been rich in history from the time of the Civil War when Lt. Mowry sold bullets to the Confederacy to the 1970s when hippies in Harshaw defied the US Forest service who wanted them out. For a short description of the history to be found out on this loop, print this and bring it with you: Ghost Town Loop History

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.2/5 (14)
User Avatar
inline-aa Icon
1500
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 02/25/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Fun road, heads up for cycling clubs, border patrol and postal carriers
Trail Review: Ghost Town Loop - NW Nomad
User Avatar
Official Crew
inline-aa Icon
17900
Open
Visited: 05/19/2022

According to Inciweb - the Road should now be open, as no closures are listed Inciweb San Raphael Fire Info Parts that could be impacted are in the photo
Trail Review: Ghost Town Loop - Jim Long
User Avatar
Official Crew
inline-aa Icon
17900
Partially Open
Visited: 05/08/2022

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8100/ San Raphael fire pretty much involves WP 20 THROUGH WP 30.
5/9/22:
User Avatar
Official Crew
inline-aa Icon
4800
Open
Rated 3/5
Visited: 04/21/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Pretty neat way to see some historical sites. Nothing particularly challenging about the trail but it has beautiful scenery along the way!
Trail Review: Ghost Town Loop - Thad Black
Trail Review: Ghost Town Loop - Thad Black
View More Images
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 04/10/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

I enjoyed this one! Very nice scenery and historic places. The road was maintained very well.

From the Community

Start a free trial and get this level of detail on every trail guide
Start Free Trial