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Wild Past
Gila County Interpretive Centers
From remote picturesque back roads to stories about outlaws and their hideouts, Gila County is the central gateway to some of the more entertaining interpretive centers in Arizona.
Visitors have access to an overwhelmingly beautiful, outdoor recreation areas, (The Mogollon Rim, Pinal Mountains, Roosevelt Lake, The Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, Besh Ba Gowah and the list goes on. These area attractions are often coupled with an authentic western heritage that is deeply rooted in stories about Cowboys, Native Americans, and Pioneers.
Visitors that come to Gila County can enjoy the opportunity of exploring the fabric of America’s past. You will be introduced to the people, places, and events that helped make our nation what it is today! The pages below will introduce you to some of these people and places, but to fully experience them…well you can only do that in person!
Tonto Fish Hatchery
Who thought feeding fish could be so much fun? The fish hatchery is just off Highway 260 on the way to Christopher Creek. For a few quarters, you can feed the fish while learning about the life cycle of the trout.
Native American Indian Ruins
Ancient Indian ruins are scattered throughout Gila County and visitors can find them all over. A visit without seeing how ancient peoples survived and thrived in these harsh lands would be a shame.
Monument of Battle of Big Dry Wash
The last battle fought between the Apaches and army regulars. It was also one of the few times that army soldiers fought and bested Apaches in actual battle. Learn more about this place of history.
Historical Museums
Learn about the Pioneers that settled in Pine or the Tewksbury-Graham Feud in Pleasant Valley or the miners that mined for ore in Globe, Arizona. Gila County has a rich western historical past and you can find a lot of great information in our Museums.
Area Cemeteries
More people are visiting these fascinating places, and not just to visit their lost loved ones' graves. Cemeteries are becoming destinations for photographers, for walkers and runners, for genealogists and historians and Gila County has a lot of them.
Zane Grey Museum
Zane Grey loved to experience the real west – in 1907 he headed for Northern Arizona to join an expedition with Charles Jesse “Buffalo” Jones to literally rope mountain lions. Of course, the trip became the basis for a book; “The Last of the Plainsman”.
