Unusual weather makes Davis Mesa seem remote and lonely – just me and the cows today. Too many clouds to see much of the San Pedro Valley to the east or the Santa Catalina Mountains to the west. The east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains – where the hills and canyons tumble into the San Pedro River – is often a good escape if you have time for the drive and a vehicle that will handle the, often rough, dirt roads. In 2011 Nathan Sayre noted in A History of Land Use and Natural Resources in the Middle San Pedro Valley, Arizona that “The current population [of the Middle San Pedro Valley], estimated at 175 year-round residents, is less than was found in the area in the early twentieth century, and probably less than occurred during some prehistoric periods.” (Journal of the Southwest, Volume 53, Number 1, Spring 2011)
Davis Mesa sits between Alder and Edgar Canyons. The land is part of the Six Bar Ranch – purchased by Pima County in 2006. Cattle still graze here, as they probably have, at least periodically, for over a century. In a Pima County Conservation Report the section on the Six Bar Ranch notes that “This ranch is more remote and has limited access points so it does not get as much use as many of the other ranch properties” – certainly accurate, but considering the best case drive from Tucson probably a bit of an understatement…
The all-things-considered quickest access from Tucson that I am aware of is to drive thru Oracle, turn south onto Veterans Memorial Boulevard, pass San Manuel, continue on Black Hills Mine Road and eventually find a parking spot above the Ventana Windmill (probably 1.5 to 2 hours from Speedway and Campbell in Tucson) – from there it is a reasonable hike access across Alder Canyon up onto Davis Mesa…