Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area, National Conservation Area in Graham and Greenlee Counties, Arizona, US

Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area spans approximately 23,000 acres across two counties and is crossed by four year-round waterways: the Gila River, San Francisco River, and Bonita Creek with Eagle Creek. The landscape ranges in elevation from about 3,100 to 4,400 feet, while dramatic conglomerate cliffs frame the river corridors.

Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area was created in 1990, when the Bureau of Land Management gave the stretch of the Gila River in Graham and Greenlee Counties protected status. The designation set aside roughly 23,000 acres (93 km2) of river corridor, keeping the water-fed habitat of the Gila and its tributaries under federal management.

The land shows traces of centuries of human settlement along the waterways, including ancient dwellings, rock carvings, and structures that reveal how people lived in this landscape. These sites tell the story of those who relied on the rivers to survive and thrive.

The Gila Box lies 20 miles northeast of Safford, in Graham and Greenlee counties. Campgrounds and hiking trails are available, and the stretch of the Gila River through the box is used by white-water rafters and kayakers. Road and trail conditions change with season and weather.

The Gila Box takes its name from the box canyon cut by the Gila River, where the river is joined by the San Francisco River, Bonita Creek and Eagle Creek. The surrounding Gila Conglomerate cliffs rise over 1,000 feet above the water, and bighorn sheep move through the mesquite and cottonwood below them.