Fairbank Historic Townsite

About Fairbank Historic Townsite

Fairbank is a "ghost town" located within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA), along the San Pedro River. It was founded in 1882 when a railroad station was built here.Its life as a town began with the construction of a railroad in 1881, and it soon became an important depot as well as the closest railroad stop to Tombstone, then one of the largest western cities (15,000 in 1882). Originally called Junction City, Kendall, then Fairbank, it was officially named Fairbank on May 16, 1883. The name refers to N.K. Fairbank of Chicago, who helped finance the railroadThe town was built on an old Mexican land grant, the San Juan de las Boquillas y Nogales, which was bought by the Boquillas Land and Cattle Company in 1901. The company evicted all potential landowners, but continued to lease the mercantile building and a few residences well into the 1970's. The Bureau of Land Management acquired the land that was once the Mexican Land Grant in 1986 as part of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.Today, this area includes the Fairbank Trailhead with parking for cars and trailer vehicles, a Visitor Contact Station in the historic Fairbank School House, operated by the Friends of San Pedro River and several historic buildings along the historic Railroad Avenue including the Mercantile Building which operated until the early 1970s. Near Fairbank is the San Pedro River and beautiful examples of riparian and mesquite woodland, as well as the historic Fairbank Cemetery, and the historic Grand Central Mill north of town. The Fairbank historic town and San Pedro River corridor became part of the NCA in 1998.The area is open for the public to enjoy. There is an interpretive trail in the townsite and a visitor center and museum in the historic schoolhouse. Take a self-guided tour around what was once a thriving boomtown of the wild west!Be on the look-out for historical points of interest. But note: It is illegal to remove any historic artifacts from

How to Get There

A four-wheel-drive or high-clearance vehicle is not required to access the Fairbank Historic Townsite.From Tucson, follow I-10 E to AZ-90 S in Benson. Take exit 302 from I-10 E. Follow AZ-90 S and take AZ-82 E to Fairbank Historic Townsite. From Sierra Vista, follow AZ-90 N and take AZ-82 E to Fairbank Historic Townsite.The parking area is on the north side of the highway, .5 miles east of the San Pedro River. It is addressable as Fairbank Townsite in map apps.A general parking area with packed gravel is located to the east of the townsite and has room for about a dozen vehicles, with space for trailer parking.You can get food and supplies in these nearby communities: Sierra Vista, Tombstone, Whetstone, Bisbee, Hereford and Palominas. Nearby public lands include the Coronado National Memorial and the Coronado National Forest.

Plan Your Visit to Fairbank Historic Townsite

Heading to Fairbank Historic Townsite? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)