Wickenburg Massacre Trail
On this easy desert cruise, ride to the alleged site of the Wickenburg Massacre, an 1871 stage coach ambush that left seven dead. This short trail ride will take you through some scenic desert outside of Wickenburg.
PERMITS: A STATE TRUST LAND PERMIT IS NEEDED FOR THIS TRAIL. PERMITS COST $15/INDIVIDUAL OR $20 FOR TWO PEOPLE AND ARE GOOD FOR 1 YEAR. GET PERMITS HERE.
Where to go:
This trail begins west of Wickenburg. From the first roundabout in town, head west on U.S. Highway 60 / Wickenburg Way. Continue west for 8.9 miles. Past mile post 102, and just after the passing lane ends, there will be a small dirt turnoff on the north side of the road. This is the start of the trail. The turnoff is unmarked and very easy to miss (coordinates: 33.948942, -112.876331). There is a small area to park just before passing a gate and beginning the trail.
Trail Description:
From Highway 60, continue north downhill. The trail immediately comes to a gate. From this point forward, you will need a State Land Trust Permit. Pass through the gate and continue north. The trail continues through brush as it heads downhill. Stay straight on the main trail as a couple of side trails will branch off within the first half mile. Things remain easy and fast moving. At 1.7 miles, stay straight where another road goes right.
After passing between a set of small hills, the trail proceeds north. The surface has some minor erosion but remains easy. Continue straight at 3.2 miles as the trail passes along a fence line and cattle pond. After this point, the trail gradually makes a long, right curve to head east. The vegetation thins as the trail reaches a junction at 4.8 miles. Stay right and pass through an old ranch. There are a few collapsed old buildings to look at. This is still an active ranch area, so do not disturb anything. When we visited, we found an old windmill running water pump.
Heading south from the ranch, the trail climbs and gets slightly rougher. You’ll reach a small clearing at 5.5 miles, where the trail will descend before briefly climbing again. At 6.0 miles, the trail reaches an important junction. Make a left turn to head northeast. The trail will twist and turn as it enters a wash at 6.2 miles. Proceed in the wash. The surface is smooth but the brush gets quite narrow in places. Stay right at 6.4 miles where you’ll cross over a sandbar and eventually exit the wash. Immediately after leaving the wash, the trail arrives at the site of the Wickenburg Massacre at 6.5 miles. The site is marked by numerous monuments and informational signs explaining the events of the ambush. For more backstory on the site, check out our article on the Wickenburg Massacre. Return via the way you came, back through the ranch area. If you continue east of the ranch area for three-quarters of a mile, you can see a neat railroad bridge over the wash. This is the Arizona & California Railroad Line and is still active! There is a bridge but it has low clearance, only ATV’s or shorter UTV’s will fit underneath.
Notes & Trail Ratings:
This is a relatively short & simple trail. To the Massacre site & back is about 13 miles round trip. There are other trails in the area, but we didn’t find anything significant. As far as difficulty goes, majority of the trail is very easy. Past the ranch — the trail can be narrow and rocky along the wash. Expect Arizona pin-stripping if you’re in a bigger vehicle. We’ve rated it a ‘3’ out of ‘10’. High clearance and 4WD are recommended, as always, but not required. Allow for 2-3 hours to complete the trail and make a couple of stops.