The Gila River stretches over 600 miles from New Mexico to Arizona, winding through deserts, canyons, and historic landscapes like the Gila Wilderness Area, sustaining riparian habitats rich with wildlife—from herons and beavers to migratory songbirds. This stretch winds through the Safford Valley, and though its flow is often reduced by drought and diversions, the river still delivers quiet beauty, cottonwood-shaded banks, and a connection to Indigenous history and desert ecology.
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