Safford, Arizona and Graham County – “Life the Way it Ought to Be”

Whether you are looking for a place to enjoy outdoor recreation, seeking an ideal location for your retirement, looking for a great place to raise a family, or considering relocating or starting a business, the City of Safford and greater Graham County offer amenities that you won’t find elsewhere.

Safford and the Gila Valley lie along the Gila River at the foot of majestic Mount Graham in the Pinaleño Mountains, which rises to an elevation of 10,717 feet. Hiking trails and campgrounds abound on the mountain, less than an hour’s drive from downtown Safford. Riggs Lake, located at the terminus of State Route 366, and a number of perennial streams are well-stocked with rainbow and brook trout.

Mt. Graham is also the site of the Mount Graham International Observatory. The MGIO, a joint project of the University of Arizona Steward Observatory, the Vatican Observatory, the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, the University of Ohio, and the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory of Florence, consists of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope, the Heinrich Holtz Submillimeter Telescope, and the Large Binocular Telescope, one of the largest optical telescopes in the world.

Among the many other outstanding recreational opportunities in the vicinity of Safford Regional Airport are Roper Lake state Park, the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness Area, The Gila Box Wilderness, the Black Hills Backcountry Byway and the Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area.

Natural hot springs are a regular feature of the Gila Valley, and, in addition to the hot mineral baths at Roper Lake State Park and Hot Well dunes, there are a number of private spas.

For more information about many of the area’s other amenities click on the “Safford Information” tab.