“Is this heaven?” the dude from Phoenix asked as he stepped out of his SUV into the cool breeze of the X Diamond Ranch. “Nah”, responds owner ‘Wink’ Crigler, “but it’s mighty close to it!”
And “close to heaven” is a pretty accurate description of this historic ranch located in beautiful South Fork Canyon near Greer, Arizona.
John and Molly Butler first came to the beautiful Greer Valley in the mid 1880s. Molly cooked and hosted thousands of guests in the Molly Butler Lodge. John added to the family income by guiding such folks as Zane Grey and Theodore Roosevelt into the backwoods of the White Mountains.
In the early 1900s John and Molly Butler moved into South Fork Canyon and established the X Diamond Ranch. The working cattle ranch is still owned and operated by their descendants who now share the ranch’s treasures with folks from around the world.
Six, rental log cabins allow visitors to spend a few days among the tall, ponderosa pines in the pristine mountain air. Ranch visitors can fly-fish for trout in Little Colorado River or horseback ride on the many canyon trails. And when you fish the streams and ride the trails of the X Diamond Ranch, you will be among some of Arizona’s most spectacular natural wonders.
History abounds on the X Diamond Ranch. A visit to the ranch’s Little House Museum will take you back in time to the old west. Your ranch guide will share many a tale about the “pioneers, preachers and outlaws” that once called this area their home.
For those interested in Native American history, the X Diamond Ranch is the location of the Little Bear Archaeological Site. Ranch visitors can participate with the site’s archeologist in an actual scientific dig. Archaeological tours to canyon petroglyphs sites are also available.
“Is this heaven?’ Nope, but any day spent at the X Diamond Ranch will certainly be some heavenly time spent in a real, Arizona paradise.
The GPS coordinates of the X Diamond Ranch is
N 34 05.123’ W 109 25.180’. To learn more about the X Diamond Ranch, visit their web site at
www.xdiamondranch.com
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