I live close to the historic old-west town of Tombstone, Arizona but I’ve never really given the town a chance. I’ve decided to give it another shot. I’m in search of a mysterious gunfighter’s grave.
Jonny Ringo Grave | Arizona
Details
- Distance: 72 miles
- Location: Arizona
- Start: Tombstone, Arizona
- End: Turkey Creek, Arizona
- Roads: Gleeson Road, Ghost Town Road, Turkey Creek Road
- Conditions: pavement and graded dirt
- Cities: Tombstone, Arizona
- Camping: West Turkey Creek Campground
I’m heading to Tombstone, a historic old west town in southern Arizona.
The Town Too Tough To Die
Tombstone was founded in 1879 as a silver mining camp and soon became one of the most famous old west towns in America.
Historic Tombstone, Arizona
Cochise County was created in 1881 with Tombstone serving as its county seat. Today, the county seat is located in nearby Bisbee, Arizona, where I live.
Wild West Tourism
Tourism is the mainstay of the Tombstone economy today and there are a lot of shops and restaurants on historic Allen Street.
Gunfighters
The gunfight at OK Corral (1881) took place at the corner of Fremont and Third St on Oct 26, 1881. The shootout was one of the most famous gunfights in U.S. history, even though it only lasted for about 30 seconds.
Outlaw Graves in Boothill Cemetery
The famous Boothill Cemetery has graves of numerous outlaws and desperados. It’s interesting to wander around and discover all of the different ways that people died in the 1800’s.
Gunfighter
Gunfighters dressed in period clothing wander the streets of Tombstone looking for tourists to watch their reenactments.
Jonny Ringo
John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882) was born in Green Fork, Indiana. Despite not being a formally educated man, Ringo was supposedly a Shakespeare-quoting gentleman whose wit was as quick as his gun.
What They Found in Jonny Ringo’s Pockets
The Gunfighter Hall of Fame has an exhibit with the items that were found in Jonny Ringo’s pockets when his body was discovered.
The Map to Ringo’s Grave
I found a map inside of the museum leading to the location of Jonny Ringo’s grave at the foot of a tree near Turkey Creek.
Ringo’s Grave
There are many theories about the death of Jonny Ringo. Some attribute Ringo’s death to Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and others – we may never know for sure.
Gleeson Road
Gleeson Road climbs gradually for seven or eight miles until reaching its high point at 5,200 feet then it rolls along the top of the ridge for a few miles, threading its way through a gap.
Pearce, Arizona Ghost Town
When gold was discovered in 1896, many families and businesses moved to Pearce from Tombstone and it replaced Tombstone as the local Wild West town. Nowadays however, Pearce is mostly a ghost town.
Turkey Creek
Turkey Creek Road leads into the Chiricahua Mountains and Jonny Ringo’s grave.
Motorcycle Camping in Turkey Creek
I’m camping in the forest with my Husqvarna motorcycle and a nice campfire. Tomorrow I will wake up and visit Jonny Ringo’s grave.
Visiting Jonny Ringo’s Grave
Jonny Ringo’s grave is located on private property. The owner’s have created a fenced in walkway so that visitor’s can see the location. Although Jonny Ringo’s life was anything but peaceful, the place where it ended certainly is.