Zona

I heard that there was an old abandoned Port of Entry at the ghost town of Lochiel, Arizona. Now I love to explore and I work at a Port of Entry and have pictures of close to 50 POE's so you KNOW that I had to go. I drove in from Nogales, Arizona past the sign in the top photo.

It was a beautiful sunny day and the dirt road was pretty well maintained. The road goes over a small mountaion range so you would be well advised to have an SUV at least. It IS an easy drive however.

Lochiel is located in the San Rafael Valley and it's one of hidden gems of the earth. Peaceful and spectaucular. It would be easy to live there if not for the heavy human and drug smuggling traffic that now passes through there on a regualr basis.

In 1539 Fray Marcos de Niza became the first white man to enter the San Rafael valley and what is now Arizona. He is recognized as the first white man west of the Rockies. He would begin the establishment of Catolic Missions. There are varying opinions on the effect of that and I line myself up with those who believe the priests sent hundreds, if not thousands, of natives to their deaths in the gold and silver mines.

There are people currently living in the valley and cattle ranches abound. I did not see a soul while I was there and I have heard that the residents are not very open to visitors. I can't blame them. Between the smugglers cutting fences and the Border Patrol Agents flying down the dirt roads I'm sure they just would prefer to be left alone.