Black Hills Back Country Byway

Arizona

BLM Back Country Byway

Map

Byway Details

Designation
BLM Back Country Byway
Length
21 mi in Arizona
Managed by
Bureau of Land Management

About Black Hills Back Country Byway

The Black Hills Back Country Byway is a 20.9-mile scenic drive on Bureau of Land Management land in Arizona, designated as a BLM Back Country Byway. The route runs to the town of Clifton, which sits along its course. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to drive it. At a weather station about 12 miles away, typical average highs run about 73°F in March and 83°F in October. Summer highs there average around 100°F, and July and August bring the most wet days. Several stops sit right along the byway. Owl Creek Campground and the Owl Creek Trail are about 0.1 mile from the route, as is the Gila River Boat Put-In. Climbers will find the Tollgate Pass West and Tollgate Pass East areas about a mile off the road.

Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Oct–Apr. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–83°F and lows of 34–52°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Safford Muni Ap, AZ weather station, 12 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan61° high34° low
  2. Feb66° high37° low
  3. Mar73° high42° low
  4. Apr82° high48° low
  5. May91° high56° low
  6. Jun101° high66° low
  7. Jul100° high72° low
  8. Aug98° high71° low
  9. Sep93° high65° low
  10. Oct83° high52° low
  11. Nov70° high41° low
  12. Dec60° high34° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Towns along the route
Clifton

Source: USGS GNIS populated places

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)