Historic Route. The historic route
enters Maricopa County shortly after leaving the Gila River to cut off
the large bend, rejoining the river in the vicinity of Gila Bend. The route
then follows the Gila River to the western Maricopa County line.
Federal Components
Painted Rocks petroglyph unit (BLM)
High Potential Route Segments
Several miles of the historic route on
public
lands east of Gila Bend are marked as a
remnant of the Butterfield Overland Mail route and maintained by a volunteer
organization under the auspices of the BLM. It is now also marked as the
Anza Trail.
Other portions of the route along the Gila
River across BLM-administered lands may have potential for recreational
trail development.
Interpretive Sites
San Lucy District of the Tohono O'odham
could interpret the Villages of the Opas and camps #27 and 28
Roadside rest along I-8 at Sentinel could
interpret camp #31. Access to the site can be made from Sentinel.
Recreational Trail
A bicycle route along roads in the county
is potential.
Auto Route (marked)
Interstate 8 (I-8) may be marked as the
auto route. However, a combination of earth and gravel roads follow the
historic route more closely. These include highway 238 from Mobile to Gila
Bend and roads from Gila Bend past Painted Rocks to Hyder. If these can
be maintained as year round routes, they would appropriately be marked
as the historic route.
Agency/Organization Coordination
Army Corps of Engineers
Arizona Office of Tourism
Bureau of Land Management
City of Gila Bend
Gila Bend Indian Reservation
Maricopa County
• Parks & Recreation Department
• Trails Committee
• Department of Planning & Development
State of Arizona
• Department of Parks and Recreation
• Department of Transportation
• Game & Fish Department
• Office of Historic Preservation
Tohono O'odham Nation, San Lucy District
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |