Off-road group aids ranch

By Tamara Thomas, Editor

Roy Williams is pleased with his new cattleguard that the Arizona Trail Riders helped install recently.

Usually, when there is a story about off-road vehicles - dirt bikes, ATVs, etc. - in relation to pristine Arizona desert, the vehicles are the “bad guys.” Not so in this case. The Arizona Trail Riders are the “white-hat guys,” helping an historic cattle and guest ranch stay prosperous while protecting the surrounding designated Wilderness area.

The Williams Family Ranch, one of the last old-time guest ranches where folks can ride, work cattle, mend fences, and feel the true spirit of desert ranching, is situated about an hour’s drive from Wickenburg on Constellation Road. It’s about 16 miles of dusty dirt road to get there, but the scenery and warm welcome at the end make the drive worthwhile.

Roy and Carrol Williams, both in their 70s, run roughly 100 head of cattle on their ranch, which is situated in the middle of the Hassayampa River Canyon Wilderness.

“They made this area a Wilderness in 1994,” explained Roy. “Grandfathered in the cattle and our little guest place here. We’re kinda in the center of the Wilderness. Seven miles up, and seven miles down the river are the boundaries.”

Having a working ranch in the middle of an area that attracts hikers, campers, and off-road enthusiasts creates its own set of challenges.

“We were having a heck of a time with people leaving the gate open,” Roy remarked. Although there is a bright yellow sign on the fence asking visitors to “Please Close the Gate,” too often it was left open.

“Cattle can smell an open gate,” Roy continued. “There’s a little spring further on up that draw, and if the gate was open, those cows would be through it and onto that patch of green up there in no time. Made a lot of work for me and the dogs.”

The Arizona Trail Riders, a motorcycle “dirt bike” club out of Phoenix, came to the rescue. The organization “adopted” the Williams Family Ranch and has been “a great benefit to the ranch,” according to Roy.

The first big project was to install a cattle guard at the point where the road crossed the fence line, so that the gate could stay closed for motor vehicles. Through the Arizona Trail Riders’ efforts, cattle guards, culverts, fencing, tools and labor were provided, and in a few days the cattle guard was installed.

“Arizona Game and Fish donated the cattle guard,” Carrol explained. “Somebody else donated the culvert, about 20 bikers arrived with tools and materials. It was wonderful.”

The second project began last Saturday (Nov. 8) with the installation of culverts across Slim Jim Wash. These culverts will help prevent the nearly annual washout of the road by spring floodwaters. It is a big project involving three culverts and a great deal of dirt.

“The Trail Riders have worked diligently with BLM, Fish and Game, everybody.” Roy continued. “They asked first, ‘What can we do to help you?’ That’s what really impressed me.

“I don’t know what their motto is, but that group doesn’t leave anything but tracks out in the desert,” he said. “They kind of help police the area too. Many people come out here and disregard the rules of the Wilderness area. They cut our fences, leave trash, drive where they’re not supposed to. There are specific laws about motor vehicles in this area, and most people don’t follow them. These folks help.”

“Established in 1988, the Arizona Trail Riders (ATR) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to responsible off-highway recreation and the preservation of off-highway motorcycle riding in Arizona,” according to its Web site. “We are a family-oriented club located in Phoenix, Arizona with a state-wide membership of roughly 150+ members at all levels of riding abilities. A considerable part of our efforts are spent working with Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Land Department, and U.S. Forest Service land management personnel to develop and maintain trails throughout the state so that everyone can enjoy the great outdoors that have helped make Arizona so famous. Club members participate in numerous trail-maintenance and trail-cleanup programs throughout the year. We also support local and national community organizations by donating either our time or a portion of our club event proceeds.”

To contact ATR, visit the Web site arizonatrailriders.org.

Carrol and Roy Williams have operated the Williams Family Ranch since 1972. The place was homesteaded in the 1930s and still has much of the rustic feel of those early years. The Williams welcome guests from September to May each year. Email williamsfamilyranch@hughes.net.

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