Overview

Rustler Park and Barfoot Park are high-elevation sites in the Chiricahua Mountains, accessible seasonally by graded dirt roads. Note that in this area "park" means "meadow;" the areas could have been named Rustler Meadow and Barfoot Meadow.

The adventure starts with the drive, not with the arrival, as the roads are long, winding, and steep, and birding along the access roads can be very productive. The highest-elevation areas are now a fire-altered landscape, and time will tell how the mountain birds respond, but look for Mexican Chickadee, Yellow-eyed Junco, Red-faced Warbler, Olive Warbler, Red Crossbill, and Band-tailed Pigeon in the pines at the top of the mountains.

Link to Rustler Park Map.

Rustler Park, proper, is a wildland fire station with a campground (closed during winter) in a forest of mixed pines, including Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, and Southwestern White Pine (Pinus strobiformis). The campground is located near the crest of the mountains, and foot trails lead north and south from the campground along the crest of the mountains. Birding around the fire station and houses can be quite productive and less adventuresome than hiking the mountain trails.

For birding Rustler Park, park outside the seasonally-closed gate, by the restrooms on the left side of the access road, and walk into the area. The campground, on the right, is open seasonally, but day-birders should be courteous and park outside the campground (and not in the Forest Service work area).

During May and June, 2011, the Horseshoe Two Fire burned almost 350 square-miles in the Chiricahua Mountains. Evidence is everywhere, especially at Barfoot Park Campground. Most of the trees in the campground burned, and in the years since, hazard trees have been removed, leaving open, sunny campsite with big views -- far different from the original campsites nestled in the dense forest.

Getting to Rustler Park

Rustler Park is accessible from Portal (via Portal Road) and from Chiricahua National Monument via Pinery Canyon Road. Both roads are steep and winding, not suitable for longer vehicles or trailers, but generally okay for sedans after the snow melts and the roads have been graded. Inquire locally about road conditions.

Driving uphill on either road, continue to Onion Saddle at the crest of the mountain range. Don't, however, be in a hurry. Drive slowly and listen for birds singing in the trees. Birding along the roads can be profitable, and especially keep an eye out for Montezuma Quail in the Pine-Oak woodlands.

At Onion Saddle, turn south through a gate onto Forest Road 42D following signs towards Rustler Park. Continue 1.6 miles to a fork in the road. Stay left to Rustler Park, or turn right to Barfoot Park.

Staying left, continue 0.8 miles to a gate that blocks vehicle entry into the campground and fire station area during winter. Turn left into a large day-use parking area with a vault toilet. Park here; this is the birder's and hiker's trailhead.

Walking up the road, pass the gate and check the Lower Rustler Spring area on the left. On the right side of the road, sheltered campsites cling to the hillside in the campground area. Shortly, walkers pass the Rustler Park Meadow on the right (just past the campground). Staying left on the road, birders wander into the still-forested fire station area. Staying south (left-ish) past the fire station, an old road continues south with grand views out across the desert and open-area type birds.

Getting to Barfoot Park

Barfoot Park is located north of Rustler Park. The road is rougher, narrower, rockier, muddier, and steeper than the road to Rustler Park.

From Onion Saddle, drive south 1.6 miles to a fork in the road. Turn right and drive about 0.6 miles to a saddle. Most drivers will want to stop here, but others might continue down the very steep hill. The road ends in another 0.4 miles at the bottom edge of Barfoot Meadow. Barfoot Meadow is watered by Barfoot Spring.

Snow tends to linger on these north-facing slopes, so Barfoot Road can be snowed in or wet and muddy long after other roads are dry.

Bird the trees around the meadow and look for open-area birds out in the meadow. Birds might come to the spring for water.