Fort Bowie National Historic Site

The Fort Bowie National Historic Site is a prime outdoor recreational site near Willcox, Arizona. It was the site of the Bascom Affair, a wagon train massacre, and the battle of Apache Pass, where a large force of Chiricahua Apaches under Mangus Colorados and Cochise fought the California Volunteers. The remains of Fort Bowie today are carefully preserved. The adobe walls of various post buildings and the ruins of a Butterfield Stage Station are still standing. It stands as a lasting monument to the bravery and endurance of U.S. soldiers in paving the way for westward settlement and the taming of the western frontier. It also serves to give us an understanding of what took place in the past between the tribes and western settlers. Apache resistance was finally crushed at Fort Bowie, and the result was the end of the Indian wars in the United States.

Hours of operation for the Fort Bowie site include a peak season that runs from March until May. The visitor center is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily, except for Christmas Day in which the facility is closed. Trail hours are from sunrise to sunset daily. Entrance into the historic site is free.