Box Canyon / Greaterville Rd.
Head east through the scenic Box Canyon section of the Santa Rita Mountains. The trail traverses rolling grassland before turning south and heading past mining ruins at Greaterville and Kentucky Camp before ending at the paved Highway 83.
Where to go:
The trail as described below heads west to east, beginning near Interstate 19 in Green Valley and ending at Highway 83. From Green Valley, take Continental Rd. east from I-19. After 1.2 miles, stay right at the stop sign onto White House Canyon Road towards Madera Canyon. Follow the road east/southeast for the next 7.3 miles. When the road makes a sharp right turn, continue straight onto the unpaved White House Canyon Road. After 0.4 miles, stay left at ‘Y’ and immediately stay right onto Box Canyon Road / County Highway 62.
Trail Description:
From the junction of White House Canyon Rd & Helvetia Road, head east on Box Canyon Road. This is also labeled as County Highway 62. Yes, that’s right, this is a highway — for now. The road begins a slow climb as it follows along powerlines towards the Santa Rita Mountains. After 1.5 miles, stay left as the road twists and turns over a small wash crossing. Continue a steady climb as things remain uneventful. Ignore all side roads.
The road levels off and reaches a curvy section around 4.8 miles. Cross over a cattleguard and bridge at 5.6 miles as the road enters the narrow stretch of Box Canyon. For the next mile and a half, the road climbs and remains incredibly scenic. Along this stretch, a steep rock wall remains on the north side while a moderate dropoff remains on the south side. The road becomes narrower in places as it continues to climb. Just after the 7.0 mile mark, the road levels out and passes over a cattleguard and overlook as it returns to a gentle forest road.
The road remains wide and curvy and turns southeast along a forested narrow canyon. The landscape eventually gives way to rolling grassland where the trees are more sparse. Cross over the Arizona Trail at 9.4 miles. At 10.3 miles, you’ll reach an important junction. Make a hard right turn to stay southwest on dirt roads. Paved Highway 62 continues to the east from this point and takes you to Highway 83. Things remain scenic as you pass alongside a private ranch. The road turns south and climbs. Arrive at another main junction at the 11.6 mile mark. You’ll want to stay right here onto F.R. 165. This serves as a bypass as the road that continues straight dead ends at the Greaterville townsite. The Greaterville Mining district, which includes Kentucky Camp further along the trail, was once a successful gold placer mining area with as many as 500 people living on site.
Continuing west on F.R. 165, the trail quickly turns back south as it gets narrower and rougher. Stay on the main trail as it weaves through the dense vegetation. Depending on the most recent maintenance, this lesser traveled section of trail could be slightly rougher and rockier. Stay left at a trail split at 13.1 miles, following the signs for Kentucky Camp. The trail climbs one more time before reaching a high point (5593’) at 13.6 miles. After this, the views open up as the road descends towards the beautiful plains ahead. At 15.2 miles stay left through trail junction at the Kentucky Camp parking area. This optional side trip will take you south to the remains of the former mining camp. Numerous buildings remain along with informational signs and old equipment on display. The ghost town can be reserved and you can sleep overnight in the small cabin. Unless you reserve the cabin, you will have to park at the main junction and make the quick walk down the road to see the ruins. It’s definitely worth it.
When done at Kentucky Camp, continue east on Fish Canyon Road as it heads through rolling grasslands. The road remains wide and smooth. Stay right at 17.6 miles as road passes through more populated area. Stay straight at 18.8 as road joins from right, and then stay left onto Gardner Canyon Road at the 19.6 mile mark. The fast moving section of road continues east until it reaches the paved Highway 83 at 20.5 miles. Staying right will take you towards Sonoita & Patagonia. Going north will take you back to I-10.
Notes & Trail Ratings:
While this easy cruise is by no means a difficult or technical trail, it is still very scenic and provides additional recreational opportunities throughout. Whether you’re looking to find a more scenic route between AZ-83 and I-19 or you want to spend a weekend in the Santa Ritas — this trail is a good place to start. For the 20 mile drive, allow for 1-2 hours. Low clearance vehicles can complete the section of County Highway 62, but high-clearance is recommended for the portions of Greaterville Road west of Kentucky Camp. Consider checking out the ghost town of Kentucky Camp while in the area, or hiking and camping along the route. This drive may be warm in summer and may receive occasional snowfall in the winter, so always use your best judgement when out on the trail.
Most of the drive in reverse from 6 years ago. Mute the music.