Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Bear Valley raid

1886 event during Geronimo's War.

Record

About Bear Valley raid

The raid on Bear Valley was an armed conflict that occurred in 1886 during Geronimo's War. In late April, a band of Chiricahua Apaches attacked settlements in Santa Cruz County, Arizona over the course of two days.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Bear Valley raid, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Bear Valley raid is

USGS topographic map around Bear Valley raid
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

10 historic USGS maps cover Bear Valley raid

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Bear Valley raid

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Arizona index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Bear Valley raid": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q4876590.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).