About
Located 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 has to offer. 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.
About the Owner
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.
An in-depth chronology of events from the Pleasant Valley War is below, parts of which occurred right here on the ranch. Many of the off-ranch historical sites are celebrated and open every July during Pleasant Valley Days.
