Charleston, Arizona
"The town that was tougher than
Tombstone"
The Ghost Town Today
Charleston, Arizona
"The town that was tougher than
Tombstone"
The Ghost Town Today
Look carefully in the middle of the photo and you'll see some of the
adobe ruins mixed in with the brush.
Looking north / east, this photo was taken from the ghost town of Charleston,
standing on a cliff over looking the San Pedro River. Through the years,
the river has also eaten away at the ruins of Charleston. Look closely
and you'll see the white top of a train going by.
This old ruin photo of the long building (at left) is believed to be
what's left of the Springer & Detoy store on Stowe Street.
Directions to the ghost town of Charleston:
From Tombstone, take Old Charleston Road approx. 10 miles south towards Sierra Vista. When you come to the railroad tracks, you'll see a parking lot on the east side of the street, park here.
This area is part of the San Pedro Riperian area and no vehicles are allowed off of the stablished roads. The ruins are a fair hike from the parking area, through some very dense and thorny brush. I pity the hiker wearing shorts or short sleeves. Start this hike with plenty of daylight left, it would not be fun to hike back in the dark. I will once again state that relic collection, metal detecting or taking "souvenirs" is illegal, and carries stiff penalties.
After parking your car, cross the street and follow the railroad tracks down about a 1/2 mile. You'll then see a sign on the tracks pointing towards Charleston to the west. From here you'll climb down the bank, cross the San Pedro River (which can be river or a creek depending on the time of year) but most of the time you'll only get your shoes alittle wet, or "be smart" and bring some rubber boots! After crossing the river, start climbing the hill slightly to the right, it's about 1/2 of a mile up to the ghost town of Charleston.
More Charleston pages...
History and old photos of Charleston, Arizona
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