Birthday Gift - ATV Tour Ride

Fred geared up for the ride.

On Friday, January 19, 2018 Bonnie and I went to enjoy a half-day guided ATV Tour ride in a Box Canyon in the desert northwest of us. The trip was Bonnie's Birthday gift to me. We drove to the starting point of the ATV Tour in Florence, AZ about 45 minutes from our campground.

We followed an old mining trail

The tour was a 37 mile loop following a old abandoned mining trail with a gain in elevation of 1500 vertical feet. We had stops at a old Gold Mine camp, we saw ancient indian rock art called Petroglyphs, and we also discovered an old adobe ruin at the bottom of the Canyon. The building was once a waystation for the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Company and a stop on the Butterfield Route of the Pony Express.

The Butterfield Stagecoach stop.

Box Canyon itself was about six miles long and at the center it is called a slot canyon.  The trail was only 15 feet wide with cliff face walls reaching 1500 feet high at that point.

Entering the Box Canyon

We could feel the temperature drop about 10 degrees when the walls were so close and no sunshine could reach us.

Petroglyphs

This was our first time riding ATV'S as part of a tour out in the desert. We had a Vehicle & Tour Safety briefing. They had all safety items for the ride including helmets, goggles, gloves, & bandanas. You needed the bandanas to cover your nose and mouth because of the dirt/dust from the ride. Plus cold bottle water and assorted candy bars too!

You are riding within the Sonoran Desert with Saguaro & Ocotillo cactus. We had a "Yamaha Grizzly" 350cc ATV code named "Gibbs".
We had a great time and we would do it again.
If you are in this area this is something you should plan to do and enjoy too! Good ride, lots of history items, and great views within the desert.

Web Site: azatvfun.com
Phone # : 800-242-6335
Cost: Two Rides on One ATV - $160 for about 4 hrs of fun!!!