Situated 12 miles south of Bowie, Arizona at Apache Pass, Fort Bowie was built in 1862 and commemorates the sour clash between Chiricahua Apaches and the U.S. military. It was where the Bascom Affair, a wagon train massacre, and the battle of Apache Pass, where a huge troop of Chiricahua Apaches battled with the California Volunteers took place.

Fort Bowie served as the base of operations by the U.S. Army during the Apache Wars between 1861 and 1886 but was officially abandoned in 1894. The fort was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and its remains are carefully preserved.

To reach Fort Bowie, one must take a 1.5 mile foot trail which begins at a parking area along Apache Pass Road. In the course of the trail, one will also pass by other historic landmarks such as Apache Spring, Siphon Canyon, the ruins of the Butterfield Stage Stop and Bascom's Camp.