Bisbee 1000 Stairclimb

 

 

Go Ride a Bike...

Whether your preferred bicycle experience is a century ride from Tucson culminating with dinner and a comfortable bed in Bisbee then return to the city in a van with your bike nestled in a trailer...or for the really intrepid rider another hundred miles of bicycling to get home...Bisbee is a wonderful destination. Touring groups can provide a sag wagon or other assistance; the Greater Arizona Bicycling Association is a great source of info for the touring rider. Then, too, there’s always the possibility of tossing a mountain bike (or three) in the back of a van or on a rack with plans to spend time in the saddle after you and your companions arrive in town. Bisbee has plenty of hills that challenge even the small ring in the front and the big cog for climbing or, maybe even better, there are miles of trails just outside town that put the “mountain” in biking. Single track, rail bed trails, mountain paths with challenging descents (yeah, and the climb back up, too), you can spend hours exploring the surrounding countryside.

Take a hike...and maybe discover some Cochise County history...

Hiking trails abound in the Bisbee area, many of them accessible within walking distance of town, others requiring a few miles drive out into the countryside. We’ve provided a couple of links for the hikers who want some suggestions for where to find established paths. Walkers merely need step outside their door. Downtown is filled with colorful shops and galleries. Guided walking tours can be arranged through the Bisbee Visitors’ Center and there are suggestions for self-guided walking tours. Click activities above for link to our downtown walking tour guide (which is linked to a .pdf you can print and take with you on your walk). Then, too, there are stairs. Everywhere you go, there are stairs. Bisbee’s stairs are becoming ever more popular with a yearly stairclimb competition drawing visitors from throughout the US. We’ve provided a link for those who want more information on the Bisbee 1000 Stairclimb and want to remind you, if you’re planning to visit on the weekend of the stair climb, make your room reservations early. It’s a really popular event. Also, check our review of the Bisbee 1000 the Great Stairclimb Fundraiser.

You might also want to read our history pages, visits to fascinating areas within a short drive of Bisbee that provide an insight to the background of Cochise County (see our history pages: a visit to the Murray Springs Historic Landmark, a paleoindian archeological area that has been dated to approximately 13,000 years ago when Clovis People hunted mastodons with spears and flint points; Fort Bowie, an integral part of Cochise County's history; a trip to the fascinating Slaughter Ranch, and, our latest addition under Activities, a Chiricahua National Monument Page.

Images to the right include a group of hikers at Council Rocks in the Dragoons (about 45 minutes north of Bisbee) and another at Parker Canyon Lake (45 minutes to the west), both courtesy of Paula Schumacher of Bisbee. Our thanks to Paula, who retains all rights to these photos. Top left is a split image of stairs climing from Brewery Gulch up to Opera Drive and another flight leading from Perley Street to Roberts Street off of Tombstone Canyon. Take a deep breath...

It's for the Birds

Bird watchers flock to Cochise County from all across the nation to observe our vast variety of feathered denizens. Birds range from the magnificient cranes that migrate each year to the playa south of Willcox to the ubiquitous hummingbirds. These little guys build their nests anywhere and everywhere. (Image to the right is of Mrs. Hummingbird feeding her chicks outside a home in the Warren district of Bisbee. She rebuilds the nest each spring and hatches two new little ones.  As in most local activities, pursuits range from organized birding groups complete with binoculars and books to aid in identification through folks who just walk the streets and paths around town to smile and watch (and listen...the birds do like to talk). Click above to bring up DiscoverAZ.com’s Southeast Arizona birding guide or here for the ExploreCochise birdwatching website or to connect with SABO, the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory website. Bisbee’s lodging facilities are a perfect place to stay while engaging with the feathered community. (Bird and breakfasts? Nah...that’s too foul a pun...)

Scoot on down to Bisbee

Bisbee is a great destination point for motorcycle vacations. Cycle-friendly lodging facilities are the norm. There’s plenty of night time entertainment, too; most of it within easy walking distance of where the bikes are parked. Even if you choose to stay on the Warren side of town, many of our friendly innkeepers are willing to give a ride to Old Bisbee and back later in the evening. Just ask first so you won’t be disappointed if arrangements can’t be made. If you’re riding in from Tucson or Phoenix, give yourself a break and take the “blue-line highways,” maybe over to Safford, down US 191 through Willcox and the Sulphur Springs Valley. Or, take 10 on the way down and enjoy a wonderful ride up 191 through Morenci, Clifton up to Springerville then stop for a few more photo session on the way back, particularly along the Salt River Canyon. Keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down...