March 14, 2015 – Having been to many of the more accessible ghost towns, Ms. Rosemary and I (Ms. Karen) decided to hike to the remote ghost town of Charleston Arizona Territory. Led by our docent, Richard Bauer, this was a Friends of the San Pedro River “Members Only” hike, provided free of charge if you are a member. Twenty-five to thirty people joined in the early morning hike. Charleston, A.T. was one of the towns that provided workers and services to the nearby stamp mill of Millville in the 1880’s. Little remains of Charleston and with each rainy season more of it disappears until there will be nothing left but a pile of red dirt. For a brief history of this interesting Ghost Town and an important part of Southern Arizona history visit the BLM who helps preserve what little is left. If you are interested in Charleston and other conservation efforts along the San Pedro River Riparian area, visit the Friends of the San Pedro River and become a member. Check out trip to the hard to locate, Charleston Cemetery. You may need a guide to find it.

Parking lot

Start At Bridge

Under the bridge

River after flood

Flotsam

Hiking-north

Crossing the River

railroad

Ms Rosemary crossing the river

Up-the-Hill

Wells Fargo Building

Stables Livery

Into-the-thicket

General-Store_cropped

Stillwell feed

doctors office

train route

 

For more Ghost Towns in the area see our page “Ghost Towns and Tours of Southern Arizona” listing stories and sites around Southern Arizona.