Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

Information Butterfield Trail closed to horses and pack animals.

The trail remains open for hiking and foot traffic. For more information, see our policy page.

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Information Fort Bowie Visitor Center Bookstore is now cashless!

For your convenience, we accept all major credit and debit cards, as well as mobile payment options. Electronic payment reduces transaction times, save money, and improves accountability. Thank you for your understanding and continued support!

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Overview

For nearly 25 years, Fort Bowie stood at the crossroads of the Chiricahua Apache's fight to defend their ancestral homeland and the U.S. Army's westward expansion. Today, visitors embark on a 3-mile scenic loop trail traversing the ground where this profound cultural collision forever altered the course of both American and Indigenous history.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Hiking
  • Front-Country Hiking
  • Horse Trekking
  • Horseback Riding
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Wildlife Watching
  • Birdwatching
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Trails and Ruins: The Historic Site trails and ruins are open every day from sunrise to sunset. Please see Visitor Center tab for museum and visitor center hours.

Getting there

From Willcox, AZ / points west on I-10: drive 23 miles east of Willcox on Interstate 10 to the the town of Bowie. Exit at the first Bowie exit and drive through the town. Follow the signs for Fort Bowie National Historic Site and turn south on Apache Pass Road. Drive 13 miles to the Fort Bowie Trailhead (the last mile of the road is unpaved). Be prepared to walk the three miles round trip to the ruins and back to your car.

Visitor centers

Phone: 520-549-6751

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

Close up of a canon barrel
Mountain howitzer · NPS Photo
Ruins of adobe building under a blue sky with white clouds.
Post Trader's Store · NPS Photo
Ruined walls of the old buildings and mountains in the background
Fort Bowie landscape and ruins · NPS Photo
Black and white photo of white tombstones in a cemetery, mountains in the background
Fort Bowie Cemetery · NPS Photo

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