Fairbank Loop

Posted By on January 20, 2016

Fairbank Loop

5 miles; Fairbank, AZ

I went back again to the San Pedro Riparian etc. and this time it included a trip through the ghost town of Fairbank, which was the railroad depot that served the mines in Tombstone. This trail loops by the Fairbank Cemetery and the remains of the Grand Central Ore Stamping Mill, and back down along the river to the railroad tracks.

Signs on all the buildings

Signs on all the buildings

I wasn’t overly impressed by the ghost town. It was too tidy; it’s owned by the Bureau of Land Management, and appears to be a popular stop along the road to Tombstone. But I did get kind of a kick out of these signs, which were on all the buildings. I didn’t see any, though. I think it’s just too cold for snakes.

Some stabby, bitey vegetation

Some stabby, bitey vegetation

This loop trail is pretty clear and heavily travelled, but the vegetation on either side is kind of typical for the high desert—very stabby and bitey.

Fairbank Cemetery

Fairbank Cemetery

 

Grave site

Grave site

The historical cemetery wasn’t quite what I’m used to. It was pretty messy and overgrown, and no real proper tombstones, which is really kind of ironic when you think about it. The grave site above with the stuffed animal on it must have been a child’s grave, but I couldn’t find any stone or marker, just the little lamb.

Ore stamping mill

Ore stamping mill

According to the very informative interpretive sign at this site further along the trail, this is the back wall of a giant ore stamping mill. The sign says the mill ran day and night with a loud, thunderous booming noise. Hard to imagine now.

Another mine site

Another mine site

Again, these ruins are very tidy. There was an open mine shaft nearby that was fenced off with barbed wire and emphatic signage. You can see, by the way, the cottonwood trees that line the river in the distance in this photo.

San Pedro River

San Pedro River

The return section of the trail follows the San Pedro River, until it comes to the old railroad bed, where it turns to follow the tracks back into the town.

You can find more information on Fairbanks here.

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