Small-town Inn and Art Gallery

Located on Duncan's Main Street near the Gila River, just off of scenic Highway 70 (the "Old West Highway") in far southeastern Arizona, the Simpson is a century-old inn and a gateway to a little-known region of rivers, mountains, canyons, backroads, farms and ranches, real cowboys, open desert and dark skies, straddling the Arizona-New Mexico border.

Some updates: Out of concern for our more vulnerable guests, and in loving memory of the five friends we lost to Covid-19, we are maintaining our requirement that guests be fully vaccinated against Covid. We are also resuming our policy of collecting a reservation deposit equal to one night's stay, to make sure you will take your bookings with us as seriously as we will! Deposits are refundable in full with at least three days notice of cancellation. Three rooms are available: The Old Library Room on the ground floor, and The Sweetheart and Garden Rooms on the second floor.

We offer full breakfasts that are vegetarian, non-GMO and as organic as possible, with vegetables or fruits from our own gardens in season. Breakfasts are optional for an additional $20 plus tax for adults and $10 plus tax for children 10 and under. We can easily accommodate vegan, gluten-free or other dietary needs. If you're set on that bacon or pork sausage, there are good breakfast establishments in Duncan, and we're always happy to see them benefit from your patronage. Our outstanding organic, fair-trade dark roast coffee and a selection of teas are included in the room charge.

A Yankee Innkeeper Reflects on Life in the Deep Old West

We Lost the Pig But Saved Our Bacon

"There's a pig out on the highway! It's going to get hit!"

It was true, there was a pig. By the time we got out to the street, our guests had coaxed it onto the sidewalk by the saloon. It was a medium-sized pot-bellied pig — the kind that, if you look it up, you will see is highly intelligent and sometimes housebroken, living indoors.

I had been introduced to a different pot-bellied pig soon after I moved to Duncan in 2006. That pig had a name: Fred. He lived with Blackjack Bob, a blacksmith in Ft. Thomas, about 60 miles down the river. Bob's wife Zika held up her hand to stop us. "Fred is not a touchy-feely kind of pig," was what she said.

But this pig from the highway was touchy-feely. He seemed happy to follow us up Main Street, wagging his tail and grunting.

We were to learn some days later that, before being lured up to The Simpson, the pig had been inside the saloon for a spell. Old-timers here will tell you about a horse that drank beer from a feedbag while standing at the bar inside the Apache Grove, up the highway. That will have to wait for another time. I promise to get back to it, as there is much more to say about the Apache Grove.

Simpson Hotel by Kathy Montgomery, photography by Steven Meckler.

Where to go this weekend: Duncan, AZ by Dina Mishev, photography by Lisa Corson.

Favorite Ride: Arizona-New Mexico Loop by Tim Kessel, photography by the author.

Kuba Łubniewski and Basia Czartoryska

William Rose Photography

Detail from Japanese Inn, a mixed-media "petrified dreamscape" by Don Carlos, Simpson Hotel artist in residence. Visit Don Carlos's studio in the gardens behind the hotel.

More Art

Year 'Round in Duncan

Gila River Birding & Wildlife Trail

A one-mile loop just a short walk from the hotel. We maintain a bird checklist for the trail and several other ebird.org "hot spots" around town. You can view or download it at .

Rock-a-Buy Rocks & Gifts (Tue-Sat)

A rockhound's dream store. Tours of local rock sites may be arranged!

Germaine's Emporium (Mon-Sat)

Room after room of antiques and vintage collectible toys, animal care products and more. Stores like this have all but disappeared from the Western American landscape.

Country Chic / Duncan Visitor Center (Mon-Sat)

A warm welcome for visitors with items by local artists, artisans and crafters for sale.