The farming and ranching success of the Gold Bar Ranch and surrounding ranches were made famous by early discoveries of Gold in the Bradshaw Mountains. As early mining claims flourished several towns sprung up in the area to serve, which at one time had more than 1,000 miners. The early towns of Walnut Grove, Peeples Valley, Wickenburg and Crown King have seen their populations rise and fall over the years, but the communities are still thriving due to the lush and fertile valley of the Hassayampa River.

For thousands of years before the first settlers arrived, the native indians cultivated plentiful crops and hunted large groups of javelina and mule deer in the area.

These petroglyphs are beautiful and are usually found along the hills by the Hassayampa river.

The Gold Bar Ranch is still blessed with the beauty and moisture provided by the Hassayampa River, which flows through the ranch property and is one of Arizona’s premiere remaining riparian habitats. Because of the crystal-clear waters that flow year round, the Gold Bar Ranch provides a natural home to an amazing collection of wildlife and flocks of birds that live in the fertile valley.

The marshy riverbanks offer breathtaking views of the river’s course against the backdrop of the foothills, making the perfect spot for a picnic or bird watching afternoon.

If you want to get rich, you can pan for gold in the river using an old fashioned gold pan. Or you can get really serious and shovel loads and loads of riverbed sand and gravel into the Gold Bar Ranch’s gold sifter. You can rent the machine by the hour and only pay a small commission on all the gold the machine uncovers.

The Gold Bar Ranch is also home to some of the best outdoor off-road recreation in the state of Arizona. Whether your preferred method of exploring the outback is a horseback ride, a four wheeled drive jeep tour, ATV’s or a mountain bike, the Gold Bar Ranch provides miles and miles of trails and dirt roads to discover. In fact, the Gold Bar Ranch offers guided ATV tours and open range horseback rides to several nearby indian ruins, ghost towns and old gold mines.

The truly western aficionados will appreciate the Gold Bar Ranch because it still an active cattle ranch. You can take lessons on how to rope a cow and practice on the static roping targets. Once you have perfected your skills, you can even try your aim on some real cattle.

Whether young or old, adventuresome or simply interested in the storied past of one of Arizona’s great western towns, the Gold Bar Ranch is the perfect place to beat the heat of the Arizona desert. The year round temperatures are considerably milder than the warmer Phoenix area and the town’s backdrop against the foothills makes for pleasant winters as well. The Gold Bar Ranch is the perfect place to camp and get away from hectic pace of meetings, phone calls and emails.

The Gold Bar Ranch’s biggest asset is its hardworking cowboys and cowgirls. They are invaluable in providing safe, interesting rides to some of Arizona’s most important historical sites and landmarks in the area. They are very friendly and always enjoying sharing the details of what it is like to work on a real cattle ranch. They are a little shy, so don’t be afraid to ask them questions about what it is like to live and work on a working ranch.

You can even rent and sleep in the old ranchhand bunkhouse, which has been converted into a very comfortable bed and breakfast facility.

Mike McCracken, Owner	Ella and Lillie McCracken, Owner “The view I like most is my front porch looking in.”