Madera Canyon, Arizona
Populated place
Madera Canyon is located in Arizona
Madera Canyon
Madera Canyon
Location within the state of Arizona
Madera Canyon is located in the United States
Madera Canyon
Madera Canyon
Madera Canyon (the United States)
Coordinates: 31°43′30″N 110°52′48″W / 31.72500°N 110.88000°W / 31.72500; -110.88000
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountySanta Cruz
Elevation
[1]
4,911 ft (1,497 m)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (MST)
Area code520
FIPS code04-43710
GNIS feature ID36713

Madera Canyon is a formerly populated place situated in the Santa Rita Mountains of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States.[2] It has an estimated elevation of 4,911 feet (1,497 m) above sea level.[1] It is located within a canyon of the same name, Madera Canyon, in the Coronado National Forest.[3]

All homes built on U.S. National Forest property were evicted and demolished between 1984 and 1991 for the development of an improved campground.[4][5][6]

History

In 1911, a Tucson businessman formed a group of backers who built several cabins in the canyon on land leased from the United States Forest Service (USFS). Over the next few years, the roads were improved, automobiles came into use and Madera Canyon became a popular summer destination. Moreover, under the 1915 Occupancy Permits Act, the USFS had encouraged construction of recreational residences (summer cabins). In 1922, the Santa Rita Trails Resort was built. The original lodge later burned down, but in 1929 it was rebuilt as a year-round resort with cottages, cabins, a restaurant, a general store, a gas station and a post office. In the 1930s, Madera Canyon was home to a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. Many of the rock walls they built still exist.[7]

The USFS continued to develop utilities and improve roads, but in the 1960s, ceased issuing new building permits. Some of the privately built summer cabins had become year-round homes, increasingly for retirees. There was concern that the impact of homes in the canyon led to erosion, sewage, and water supply problems. However, the unimproved picnic areas were also considered a source of pollution. Entering the 1970s, USFS policy shifted further to public use, repurposing and "re-wildernessing" the canyon for camping and hiking. Over fifty private cabins on public land were evacuated and demolished between 1984 and 1991. The few remaining homes in Madera Canyon are on private land.[7][4][5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Feature Detail Report for: Madera Canyon". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ↑ "Madera Canyon (in Santa Cruz County, AZ) Populated Place Profile". AZ Hometown Locator. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ United States Geological Survey (1996). Mount Hopkins, AZ (PDF) (Topographic map). 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 Cline, Harry (25 Nov 1972). "The Coronado is Losing Its Cool". Tucson Daily Citizen: 13–14. Retrieved 2023-01-13. With the increasing demand [for public recreation] it is becoming increasingly evident that the same things that make the sites attractive for summer homes make it equally attractive for camping or picnic sites.
  5. 1 2 "75 Still Facing Eviction from Madera Canyon". Arizona Daily Star: 17. 22 May 1974. Retrieved 2023-01-13. For the second time, Coronado National Forest officials have told 75 Madera Canyon residents that they must leave their homes by 1983 to make room for public recreation and to preserve the canyon's environment.
  6. 1 2 "Cabin owners seek to halt Madera Canyon evictions". Tucson Daily Citizen: 17. 31 Mar 1973. Retrieved 2023-01-13. In announcing the eviction deadline, Forest Service spokesmen said that the land now occupied by cabins would be needed to allow room for projected increases in public use of the recreation area. ... Perkins blamed most pollution on picknickers who use an area upstream from the summer home area.
  7. 1 2 "Welcome to Friends of Madera Canyon – Cultural History". Retrieved 2014-03-08.
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