Dedicated Benches
Dedicating a Bench
Honor or memorialize a family member, friend, or group of friends by dedicating one of the benches along the Bud Gode Nature Trail in Madera Canyon. A dedication page will reside on the Friends of Madera Canyon website for ten years.
U.S. Forest Service policy prohibits placing dedicatory plaques on benches. As an alternative, the Friends now offers the opportunity for donors to select one of the 22 benches between Proctor Road and Madera Picnic Area and dedicate the bench virtually. To dedicate a bench with a back requires a $2000 donation; $1500 will dedicate a bench without a back. Bench donations are tax-deductible. A separate page for each bench sold will be displayed in a special section of the website under Donors. An example of a plaque is shown below.
Information for each bench can be found in the table below. In the column labeled Info, you can click on the link Info #, where # is the bench number. It will take you to a PDF page. Each page will contain pictures of the bench and the view from the bench. You can choose from among three different layouts for the page and add a photograph of the honoree and a dedicatory message if you choose. You can see examples of the page layouts here.
The list of benches currently available for dedication is below. There are also two maps showing the locations of the benches. Reasons for selecting a particular bench are unique to the donor: a favorite spot along the trail or a place of special beauty in the eyes of the honoree, etc.
If you are interested in pursuing a bench dedication to honor a special person or group, please see the section below, How to Dedicate a Bench
| Bench # | Backing | Bench Name | Description | Geo Location | Elevation (ft) | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No Back | The White House Ruin Bench | Located at the ruin of the White House, the site of a store at first, serving miners and others, and later the home of the Morales family. It offers a view south to the chaparral hillside. | 31 44 24 N 110 53 7 W 31.74 -110.885278 | 4480 | Info 1 |
| 2 | No Back | The Mortero Bench | This bench is located where Indigenous Ancestors prepared their Mesquite Flour. | 31 44 21 N 110 53 7 W 31.739164 -110.885278 | 4470 | Info 2 |
| 3 | No Back | The Parent Bench | Overlooking a Creekside play area for kids. It is situated around boulders. | 31 44 21 N 110 53 7 W 31.739167 -110.885277 | 4480 | Info 3 |
| *Pending* 4 | Back | Creekside Boulders (N.E.) | Facing N.E. with a Bee Board for the benefit of the Carpenter Bees that call the area home. | 31 44 21 N 110 53 6 W 31.739167 -110.885 | 4480 | |
| 5 | Back | Creekside Boulders (S.W.) | Facing S.W. and boulders in the Creek. This location also includes a Bee Board. | 31 44 21 N 110 53 6 W 31.739167 -110.885 | 4480 | Info 5 |
| *Sold* 6 | Back | The Meadow Bench | Named by Fred and Marion Schmidt in recognition of the Friends of Madera Canyon. It offers a view across the meadow to Mt. Wrightson, where Carpenter Bees can be heard inside the wood. | 31 44 16 N 110 53 5 W 31.737778 -110.884722 | 4490 | |
| 7 | No Back | Below the Bridge | Located north of the CCC Bridge, creekside. | 31 44 9 N 110 53 1 W 31.735833 -110.883611 | 4580 | Info 7 |
| *Sold* 8 | No Back | The Birder's Bench | Overlooking several tree species in the Creek, above the CCC stairs. This is a prime spot for birding. | 31 44 8 N 110 53 1 W 31.735556 -110.883611 | 4610 | |
| 9 | No Back | The Oaks Bench | Facing the Wrightson View bench and overlooking oaks around the creek. | 31 44 6 N 110 53 1 W 31.735 -110.883611 | 4610 | Info 9 |
| 10 | No Back | The Wrightson Bench | Facing the Oaks Bench with Mt. Wrightson rising above the land. | 31 44 6 N 110 53 1 W 31.735 -110.883611 | 4610 | Info 10 |
| 11 | Back | The Meditation Bench | Located at the end of the second Whitehouse Spur, overlooking the creek and chaparral hillside. It is intended to invite solitude. | 31 44 2 N 110 52 60 W 31.733889 -110.883306 | 4640 | Info 11 |
| 12 | Back | The Chaparral Hillside Bench | Facing the chaparral hillside on the SW side of the creek. | 31 44 3 N 110 52 59 W 31.734167 -110.883306 | 4630 | Info 12 |
| 13 | No Back | The Memorial Bench | Provides an unobstructed view above the creek to the hillsides to the southwest. It is located by a memorial plaque. | 31 44 0 N 110 52 60 W 31.733333 -110.883306 | 4650 | Info 13 |
| *Sold* 14 | No Back | Forest Glen Bench | Situated in a glade, close to the creek with a clear view downstream. | 31 43 57 N 110 52 56 W 31.7325 -110.882222 | 4680 | |
| 15 | No Back | The Boulder Bench | Next to the largest boulder trailside between Whitehouse and Madera Picnic area. | 31 43 54 N 110 52 55 W 31.731667 -110.881944 | 4710 | Info 15 |
| 16 | Back | Madera Bridge Bench | Located above a bridge across the creek, looking down the creekbed. | 31 43 48 N 110 52 52 W 31.73 -110.881111 | 4760 | Info 16 |
| 17 | No Back | Unknown Settler Bench | Located by the gravesite of an unknown settler on a spur off the east Whitehouse Loop. | 31 44 5 N 110 52 57 W 31.734722 -110.8825 | 4630 | Info 17 |
| *Sold* 18 | Back | The Raptor Bench | Named by Fred and Marion Schmidt, facing NW into the Valley by the Raptor Information sign. It features a view with many scenic levels, including Baboquivori. | 31 44 8 N 110 52 60 W 31.735556 -110.883306 | 4600 | |
| *Pending* 19 | Back | The Gibbeson Bench (Proctor Bridge Bench) | Named by Carolyn Fowler for Louise Gibbeson, who was a luminary in the early history of the Friends of Madera Canyon. | 31 44 14 N 110 53 2 W 31.737222 -110.883889 | 4550 | |
| *Sold* 20 | No Back | The Mike Martin Bench | Also known as the Creekside Bench, named by Betsy Martin and family in memory of Mike Martin. It is located southwest of the Proctor Bridge in a special place for the couple. | 31 44 14 N 110 53 2 W 31.737221 -110.883889 | 4540 | |
| 21 | Back | Birds in the Meadow | Offers a view of grasslands looking west on the East Proctor Loop. | 31 44 18 N 110 53 3 W 31.738333 -110.884167 | 4510 | Info 21 |
| 22 | No Back | Hummingbird Bench | Situated on the east Proctor Loop among plants that attract numerous hummingbirds when in bloom. | 31 44 20 N 110 53 3 W 31.738889 -110.884167 | 4510 | Info 22 |
How to Dedicate a Bench
- Review the list of available benches listed in the table above.
- Take a stroll in the Canyon to visit the benches (optional). Choose the one you like best!
Dedicate your bench:
- Choose your website display format from these options.
- Compose a written message for the text portion of the website display.
- Choose a photo (or photos, depending on the website display format you’ve selected.)
- Contact the ”Bench Team” , Tributes@friendsofmaderacanyon.org, when you’re ready with your web display contributions, and they’ll assist you with digital delivery of the materials.
Make your donation:
- Mail a check ($1500 for a bench without a back; $2000 for one with a back) to Friends of Madera Canyon, Box 1203, Green Valley AZ 85622
- Pay by credit card on our website, and choose Bench as the “donation type.” If you choose the convenience of paying by credit card, we respectfully ask that you check the box to cover the 2.75% processing fee.