Faraway Ranch

Faraway Ranch is a historic ranch house and group of outbuildings tied to the Erickson and Riggs families. The buildings themselves aren't open to the public, and current guided-tour access isn't confirmed, so plan on seeing the ranch from outside rather than going through an indoor museum. The separate picnic area and parking lot are useful stops in their own right.

The picnic area has several accessible tables, including covered options. There are no grills or fire facilities, so bring food ready to eat. Restrooms serve the park's parking lots; potable water at this stop isn't confirmed. The ranch parking lot is also one of the park's recommended places for a wide, unobstructed view of the night sky, making this a good stop to save for after dark.

Emma Peterson, a Swedish immigrant, bought the original two-room cabin in 1886. After she and Neil Erickson settled there, the house grew in stages: a two-story frame house by 1898 and, by 1915, a two-and-a-half-story mix of adobe and board-and-batten. The ranch remained a working cattle operation into the early 1970s.

The family began welcoming guests in 1917. Lillian Erickson Riggs and her husband Ed expanded the operation, adding comforts including electricity, oil heat, bathrooms and a large dining room. The fireplace was made with stones carved by Buffalo Soldiers. Guests came for the ranch setting and outings into the surrounding country; evenings could include music and stories from Lillian.

Neil Erickson became the first ranger for the Chiricahua Forest Reserve in 1903. Later, Lillian and Ed built some of the area's first trails and supported the effort to protect Chiricahua as a national monument in 1924. The ranch is a place to see how a family home and guest business became part of the area's visitor history.