Directions to the Fort:
From Down By The River B and B, the access to Fort Bowie for most people is best accomplished by heading east on Interstate 10 and exiting in either Willcox or Bowie, Arizona.
From the town of Willcox, drive southeast for 20 miles on State Road #186 to the Fort Bowie turn off, then drive another eight miles on the unpaved road to the Fort Bowie Trailhead.
From the town of Bowie, take Apache Pass Road 13 miles south and then about 1 mile of unpaved road to the trailhead. There is access for handicap persons from a service road to the monument but you have to make prior arrangements to use this parking area.
History of the Fort:
The Government awarded the Butterfield Overland Mail Company a six year contract to deliver mail between St. Louis and San Francisco on September 16, 1857. The mail was delivered over the southern route and one of the stations along the route was located in Apache Pass near the site where Fort Bowie would be built.
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