Coyote Trail B&B offers ‘true desert experience’

Mary Lopez retired to Arizona after a 30-year career in public service in West Virginia, and promptly got an idea for a new business.

“When I moved here and found out that Harrah’s was the only place to stay in Maricopa, it occurred to me that this would be a great location for a bed and breakfast,” she says.

Lopez “read lots of books about B&B’s and visited a number of them” to get ideas for her own place. In August 2008 she opened Coyote Trail Bed and Breakfast in Hidden Valley, offering an upscale experience for a surprisingly modest price. Located in a striking 3,000-square-foot Pueblo Revival style home off Papago Road that has an adjacent 1,300-square-foot casita, pool and rooftop deck, Lopez’s B&B attracts people from all over the world who come for what she calls “a true desert experience.”

Activities include hiking, biking, driving quads, horseback riding, stargazing and spa treatments. “We partner with the Wellness Oasis Center for spa treatments and with several of the horseback riding outfits in the area,” Lopez says. “The other businesses come and pick my guests up and then drive them back, or else I take them over myself. “

Lopez also offers complimentary pickup service at the Maricopa Amtrak station for guests who arrive by train, and rides to Casa Grande for people who want to rent a car.

The food is another highpoint of life at Coyote Trail Bed and Breakfast. Guests find freshly-baked muffins in their rooms when they arrive and are encouraged to select a custom-made breakfast from Lopez’s tasty menu.

While Lopez has guests from as far away as Europe and Asia, who come to experience the romance of the American West, she would like to lure more local residents to her desert hideaway.

“I am so close to Maricopa, and it is so peaceful out here that it makes a perfect weekend getaway for local folks. I offer a $100 romance package that includes one night’s stay in a luxury room, hors d’oeuvres and champagne upon arrival and a full breakfast with fresh fruit, juice and coffee.”

Coyote Trail has six guest rooms that can accommodate up to 10 people and operates year-round, though Lopez says there aren’t a lot of guests during the hot summer months.

“March was an excellent month for us,” she says. “The weather really determines a lot in terms of how busy we are, and this is the nicest time to be in Arizona.”

Lopez, who served eight years on the Charleston City Council, as well as working for the city government for several decades, has continued her civic involvement since coming to Maricopa, serving as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce.

Besides being an active businesswoman, Lopez is obviously a very gracious hostess, as attested to by a book of guest comments on display at Coyote Trail. “Thank you for a wonderful stay!” a recent visitor wrote. “The quality of the rooms was stupendous and the attention to detail was a delight. Mary could not have been a more welcoming hostess — nothing was too much trouble. Don’t miss a visit here if you can.”

“I wanted this to be a really special place,” Lopez says, “and people seem to think that it is.” 

IF YOU GO

What: Coyote Trail Bed and Breakfast
Where: 2104 S. Coyote Trail, Maricopa, AZ 85139
When: Year-round accommodations
Cost: $79 per night
Phone: 520-582-5200
Email: [email protected]
Web:CoyoteTrailBedAndBreakfast.com