The 23,000-acre Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area is truly an oasis in the desert. It has four perennial waterways - the Gila and San Francisco rivers and Bonita and Eagle creeks, which are the lifeline for this remarkable place. The Gila River canyon section, known as the Gila Box, is composed of patchy mesquite woodlands, mature cottonwoods, sandy beaches, and grand buff-colored cliffs. Bonita Creek, popular for birdwatching, hiking, and picnicking, is lined with large cottonwoods, sycamores, and willows. The perennial creek and riparian vegetation make this a cool year-round desert oasis.

Cliff dwellings, historic homesteads, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and over 200 species of birds make this year-round watery desert refuge worth the short drive from Safford.

The Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area is located 20 miles northeast of Safford in Graham and Greenlee counties.

Access:From Safford to reach the west side, travel five miles east on U.S. Highway 70 to Solomon, AZ. At Solomon, turn left on the Sanchez Road and follow the road to the end of the pavement. From there, follow the signs to Bonita Creek and the lower end of the Gila Box. To reach the east side from Safford, take Highway 70 east 10 miles to its junction with U.S. Highway 191. Turn left and follow Highway 191 about 29 miles to milepost 160, which is four miles south of Clifton, AZ. Turn left onto the signed Black Hills Back Country Byway, and follow the road four miles to the conservation area.

Pioneer ranchers and farmers in the Gila Valley built this trail about 1874 to haul their products to the booming mines of the Clifton-Morenci area. After the advent of the automobile in the early 1900s, new roads were constructed along other routes. One was the Safford-Clifton Road (now called the Black Hills Back Country Byway). Decreasing use of the Safford-Morenci Trail resulted in little maintenance, and it became more difficult to follow.

Today, the Safford-Morenci Trail is managed by the BLM as a recreation trail for non-motorized uses. Although the trail was originally used as a pack trail for supplying mining camps in and around Morenci it is now impassable in places for horseback riders.

Access: The West Trailhead near Bear Springs is about 12 miles northeast of Safford via the Solomon Pass and Salt Trap Roads. To reach the trailhead, take 8th Avenue north out of Safford. A half mile after crossing the Gila River bridge, take the right fork onto Airport Road. Drive 4.3 miles to Aviation Way. Turn left onto Aviation Way, then another immediate left onto the paved unsigned road. This is the Solomon Pass Road, follow it 8.0 miles to the Solomon Pass - Salt Trap Road Junction. Take the left fork onto Salt Trap Road and follow 1.8 miles. Turn left and continue about 4 miles west to the West Trailhead. If you reach Salt Trap tank with corrals, you've missed the turn. A 4WD high-clearance vehicle is needed for sections of the last 4 miles.

To reach the East Trailhead (6 air miles west of Morenci), take the Lower Eagle Creek/Black River Road off of Highway 191, just north of Morenci. The turnoff is about a quarter mile past a historic hillside cemetery on your right. Take the left into what appears to be a dirt parking area; the road begins there. The Eagle Creek road begins there. You will need to ford Eagle Creek just below the water pipeline at the ranch house, continue on for about another 4 miles. The trailhead is signed. Although the Lower Eagle Creek/Black River Road is maintained gravel, the river crossing may require a high clearance vehicle during high water events.