Barry Goldwater Event

Hosted By UTV Offroad Adventures

UTV Offroad Adventures launched the first event of the 2026 season January 16-18, 2026, in the scenic desert surrounding Welton, Arizona, near the Barry M. Goldwater Range. This area of southwestern Arizona, close to the U.S.-Mexico border, is rich in military history, rugged terrain, and vast desert landscapes that are especially beautiful this time of year.

Base camp was hosted at Naked Dates Farm in Welton, AZ, providing an incredible home base for Friday check-in, Saturday and Sunday morning ride staging, ride returns, and the Saturday night banquet featuring dinner, raffles, awards, and more. The event welcomed 35 side-by-sides and guests from Texas, California, and beyond, split into two ride groups for safety and variety. Participants completed both rides over the weekend-one on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Ride One

Ride One followed a scenic desert route through the heart of the Barry M. Goldwater Range, with numerous stops throughout the day to explore historic military sites and old desert mines while taking in expansive views of the surrounding landscape. Along the way, the group visited multiple aircraft crash sites, including an F-14A Tomcat, as well as tanks, an old military training camp, missiles, and helicopters-offering a fascinating look into the area’s military history. Riders also spotted wild rams perched on the rocky hillsides, a highlight for many. Baker’s Tank was just one of many stops along the route, a historic rainwater-collecting tank with a nearby round stone fireplace designed to accommodate multiple hearths for cooking.

Ride Two

Ride Two traveled south toward the U.S.-Mexico border wall, providing riders with a unique photo opportunity at the wall itself and a chance to take in the scale, craftsmanship, and striking presence of the structure set against the desert landscape. The route continued through the rugged Woodcutter’s Pass / Dripping Spring trail, featuring rocky terrain and incredible views. Riders stopped at the historic La Fortuna Mine, one of the area’s most productive gold mines dating back to the late 1800s, where rich quartz veins once produced significant gold and helped shape early mining in the region. The ride showcased the beauty of the desert and all it brings at this time of year-mild temperatures, wide-open views, and the quiet grandeur of the Sonoran Desert.

Lodging & Atmosphere

Naked Dates Farm provided amazing hospitality and a fun, relaxed atmosphere, complete with a live band in the background, a fire pit, great food, and their famous date shakes, brews, and more. Guests stayed on-site in tents, RVs at the farm, or nearby at the Microtel Hotel.

Awards Presented at the Saturday Night Banquet:

• Farthest Traveler Award: Guest from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Oldest Rider Award: A rider in his 80s, proving adventure has no age limit
• The Infamous “Dumb Ass Award” featuring a gold donkey trophy, awarded to a side-by-side that left its assigned ride group and followed the wrong one. Despite attempts by UTV Offroad Adventures to contact chase and redirect them, the rider continued with the other group-only realizing the mistake after returning to base camp.

With warm, beautiful weather, unforgettable scenery, and great camaraderie, the weekend was an incredible start to the 2026 season. See you at our next adventure! utvoffroadadventures.com