Faraway Ranch

Faraway Ranch traces the shift from frontier to tourism on ground the Chiricahua Apache had recently been forced to leave. Neil and Emma Erickson homesteaded in Bonita Canyon in 1887, the year after Geronimo's surrender, and ran cattle in the shadow of the rock spires. In 1917 their daughters added a second trade, taking in guests who came to walk, watch birds, and ride through what locals called the Wonderland of Rocks. The ranch operated for decades and is now preserved within Chiricahua National Monument, a homestead that became a window on the change it rode.

What the plaque says

Faraway Ranch. Faraway Ranch represents a transition from the wild, unsettled frontier to a peaceful cattle and guest ranch of the 20th century. In 1887, shortly after the final surrender of Geronimo, Neil and Emma Erickson set up a homestead here. When Neil became the first ranger of the Chiricahua Forest Reserve, Faraway Ranch served as his headquarters for several years. Life at Faraway Ranch centered around cattle, but in the summer of 1917 Erickson's daughters introduced a second business - accommodating guests. Guests enjoyed walking, watching birds, and riding horses through the "Wonderland of Rocks" in the canyons near here. Cattle and guest ranching operations sustained the life of the ranch until its owners became too well along in years to keep up with the daily turmoil. Today the heritage of Faraway Ranch is being preserved as part of Chiricahua National Monument.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Chiricahua National Monument — 1.5 mi
  The Land of Standing-Up Rocks — Cochise and Geronimo's stronghold

More markers nearby

• Ed Riggs — steps away
• Neil and Emma Erickson — steps away
• The Chiricahua Apache — 0.9 mi