Cherry Creek Lodge
Ultimate Tonto National Forest Cowboy Getaway
Cherry Creek Lodge
Ultimate Tonto National Forest Cowboy Getaway
On a working cattle ranch nestled within the scenic Tonto National Forest, Cherry Creek Lodge invites you to experience the endless possibilities our 40,000+ acre Arizona guest ranch offers. Authentically rustic and perfectly complemented by modern conveniences, it is the ideal destination for a variety of outdoor activities, or the perfect opportunity to just relax and take in the natural beauty of the area.
Activities
- Cowboy Experience
- Trail Rides
- Shooting Range
- Lake Sharon
- Prime Arizona Hunting
- Horse Drawn Wagon Tour
Amenities
Aside from our thrilling experiences, lodge activities change with the seasons, depending on the time of year and the weather. These can range from various arts and crafts to learning how to be more self-sustainable. We pride ourselves in running a self-sufficient lodge that mostly thrives off the grid. We love letting our guests experience how we sustainably operate our grounds while wasting as little as possible.
Lodging
All guest rooms are private, smartly appointed in decor with quality furniture, fine linens, cozy blanket throws, and fresh and fluffy bed pillows. All the beds (except some of the bunk beds) have top-of-the-line pillow-top mattresses.
The Rustler’s Roost, Wranglers Rack and Bunkhouse Suite are in a separate building, located less than two hundred feet from the main lodge, situated close to the horses and other livestock. Of course, we encourage all guests to enjoy the main lodge amenities.
The following descriptions reflect our standard bedding configurations. We can change things around for larger groups—bring in trundles or bunk beds.
Dining
Nobody leaves hungry at Cherry Creek Lodge, where meals are included. We serve a delicious hearty country breakfast, western lunch, and dinner daily. All meals are served family-style and prepared with lots of love. Enjoy a true farm-to-table experience as many of our organic ingredients such as herbs and eggs are grown and raised right here at the ranch.
History
Cherry Creek Lodge sits on the original homestead of J.D. Tewksbury, the patriarch of the Tewksbury family. This land played a key role in the infamous Pleasant Valley War that started in the early 1880s as a feud between the Tewksbury and Graham families and escalated into what was reputedly one of the bloodiest range wars of the old West.
Horse and cattle rustling, cattlemen versus sheepherders, big corporate ranches bringing in gunfighters to run off smaller ranchers, ambushes, outnumbered lawmen taking on the odds, lynchings, and vigilantes all played a part in the Pleasant Valley War—and became the subject of several nonfiction books, novels (including one by Zane Grey), documentaries, and movie & TV plots.
The sensationalized newspaper accounts of the range war at the time made the Arizona Territory synonymous with violence and lawlessness in the minds of the Eastern establishment, resulting in the delay of Arizona’s statehood for about a decade.
