Faraway Ranch - Willcox, Arizona

Faraway Ranch - Willcox, Arizona

This is the home of Neil and Emma Ericson, built in the late 1890’s near Chiricahua National Monument.  For years it was run as a "Dude Ranch" to sustain the necessary income to survive the 20’s and 30’s.  Visitors to the ranch could take trail rides into the monument as well as taking part in ranching activities, and yet today the visitors to Faraway Ranch can still visit and wonder at Wonderland of Rocks!

The adobe style house was built by Mexican workers of the area with great detail being given to the interior, you will be pleased when you enter and see the quality of the workmanship of this home which has survived for so many years.  The Ericson family lived in the home for 91 years before selling it to the National Parks.

The ranch is now owned by the National Park Service which does offer tours.

You will also want to see the Stafford Cabin which is one of the first homestead dwellings in the Chinicahua Mountains and one of the oldest surviving log cabins in the region.  The original part of the cabin consists of two rooms each about 13 x 12.  The cabin was constructed around 1880.

Life was difficult in that time, Ja Hu Stafford, owner of the cabin, had married a gal from Utah before moving to AZ, they were among the first settlers in the region.  They had seven children, four lived to adulthood.  Pauline Stafford, the wife, died at the age of 26 leaving Ja Hu to raise the remaining children on his own. 

Location: 1.5 miles west of Chiricahua National Monument Visitor Center (39 miles from Willcox)

Tours: Daily from 8 - 4:30 Closed on Christmas