Buck Springs

In 1923 a rancher by the name of R. Pyle built a small cabin on the edge of a bucolically beautiful alpine meadow with several wonderfully reliable springs. The springs became known as Buck Springs. Later the fledgling Forest Service built a cabin and then another to house fireguards during the summer fire season. The Buck Springs Fire Guard station was the most remote of a network of such cabins. Today two of the three historic Buck Springs cabins still stand in the tall pines along the peacefully serene meadow. The land around Buck Springs is now a part of the vast Coconino National Forest that spans 1.856 million acres in northern Arizona's high country. Buck Springs Road, FR 161, is located in the easternmost portion of the Coconino. The road offers an easy way to visit the remote cabins and take a stroll around the meadow while listening to the wind sing in the tops of the tall Ponderosa pines, possibly interrupted by the bugle of a nearby bull elk. Buck Springs Road travels deeper into a seldom-visited part of the vast and ancient forest. The forest floor is often clear of underbrush, carpeted with pine straw, and seemingly begging you to abandon your rig and just go exploring. Spacious campsites sit along the edge of Buck Springs Canyon or tucked up on short spur trails. If you are looking for a little trip that combines history and beauty with a completely relaxing environment, Buck Springs may be just what you seek.