For all you Ghost Town fanatics.
Occasionally, the Friends of San Pedro River conduct a Members-only guided hike to Charleston Ruins.
Charleston was a town on the west bank of the San Pedro River, directly across from Millville, that processed ore from Tombstone. When the mines in Tombstone were flooded with water, these two towns met their demise.
In the recent past, docent Richard Bauer and local author John D. Rose have guided the hikes. Mr. Bauer is an expert on local history, while Mr. Rose has recently published two books (available at San Pedro House and Fairbank Schoolhouse) on the history of the San Pedro River Valley and is an authority on Tombstone, Charleston, and other early settlements along the river. Charleston was perhaps the wildest of the local ghost towns. This easy hike is just over four miles, takes around three hours, and entails one river crossing. Non-members can join on the spot by bringing a printed FSPR member application form downloaded from the website. You may find information about future sightseeing trips to the Ghost Town of Charleston on this site as well.
For more Ghost Towns in the area see our page “Ghost Towns and Tours of Southern Arizona” listing stories and sites around Southern Arizona.
To learn more about the San Pedro River and the San Pedro Riparian Conservation (SPRNCA) Area, see our page dedicated to the river and its life.
