COTTONWOOD COUNTRY

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF ARIZONA, THIS DESERT DESTINATION MAKES FOR THE PERFECT GETAWAY.

- KENT AND CHARLENE KRONE

Above the heat of the desert and below the chilly temperatures from Arizona’s high country sits Cottonwood, a beautiful destination that’s perfect for spring-weather riding. Ranked as one of the top 10 destinations in the United States, Cottonwood is home to several guest ranches offering exciting adventures both in and out of the saddle, and is filled with stunning trails to explore with your own horse.

We’ll share some of our favorite places to visit in Cottonwood and give you a list of things to see and do in between rides.

BUMBLE BEE RANCH

A working guest ranch that was started in 1998, Bumble Bee Ranch (bumble beeranch.com) is a full-service facility on 190 acres, surrounded by 74,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management public land in the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains, and can handle groups of people from one to 300.

Bumble Bee Ranch has two guest houses, tent and RV campsites (with or without electric), horse corrals so you can bring your own mount, restroom and shower facilities, and a large pavilion that’s perfect for meeting fellow guests and dancing the night away.

The ranch’s website provides 10 different trails that are accessible on horse and by foot; all start and end at the ranch. Rides vary from 1½ hours to 6½ hours and range from easy to technical and rocky, so you’ll be able to find a trek to suit you, no matter how long you’d like to be on the trail and how challenging a ride you typically enjoy. During your ride you may encounter sandy washes, water crossings, ATV trails, and cattle trails. Some trails even have water troughs available for your horse to drink from along the way.