20 Attractions to Explore Near Ladybug Peak

Heliograph Peak is a subsidiary summit of Mount Graham in the Pinaleño Mountains. There is a good forest road to the top, and the peak is probably the best in the range for summit views, given that Mount Graham itself is off-limits and wooded, and the other high peaks are usually wooded too.

Mount Graham is the highest of the peaks that breach the 10,000-foot barrier, while nearby Hawk Peak is home to the Mount Graham Observatory, its buildings visible from below and even from vantage points on distant peaks. It is the highest elevation in Graham County, Coronado National Forest and the Pinaleño Mountains. It is also the southernmost peak and land area in the continental United States above 10,000 feet. A good trekking destination and also there are so many things to do.

This is the research arm for the Department of Astronomy at The University of Arizona. MGIO consists of three telescopes: the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope, the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter (Radio) Telescope of the Arizona Radio Observatory, and the Large Binocular Telescope, the world's most powerful telescope. Public tours of the MGIO are conducted by the Eastern Arizona College's (EAC) Discovery Park Campus between mid-April and mid-October.

Ash Creek Falls is one of the finest falls in California. It is set far back in Ash Creek Canyon as the waterfall makes a huge scene, gushing over the cliff in a strong freefall. The water hits a rocky area and creates a a big shower. The waterfall is 330 feet high and is a combination of Mud Creek Falls and Whitney Falls. It does not have as much volume as Mud Creek Falls, but it has plenty of power.

Frye Mesa Reservoir is an excellent place to camp out for a night or spend a day escaping the southern Arizona heat. This Reservoir contains both Apache and Gila trout, making it one of the only places to legally catch Gila trout in Arizona. Frye Mesa offers spectacular views of the Gila River Valley below and the rocky peak above.

Dankworth Pond is 150 acres of land surrounding a 15-acre pond. The park was once a fish hatchery for raising catfish. It has picnic ramadas, trails, and so more.

A small picturesque lake, 11 acres in size, set in alpine forest and meadow. Its cold waters are stocked during the summer with rainbow, brown and brook trout, and anglers report that the fishing is usually good. It is an iconic attraction in this area and also a good camping location.

Roper Lake State Park is located 6 miles south of Safford in Graham County in southeast Arizona and sits at the base of Mt. Graham. It surrounds around 32-acre Roper Lake and it includes a boat ramp, a beach for swimming, a picnic area, a campground, cabins, and a hot spring. The lake is stocked with bass and trout, and boats are limited to small electric motors. This beautiful park is in a beautiful location surrounded by the sky island Pinaleño Mountains range, including Mount Graham.

The Cluff Ranch Ponds are located in the Cluff Ranch Wildlife Area at the base of the Pinaleno Mountains in southeastern Arizona. The town of Pima is 5 miles away, and the city of Safford is 7 miles away. The facilities are maintained by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Blue Jay Peak is the western-most peak in the Pinaleño Mountain of Graham County. However, it is separated from the main range by a low pass, enough to give Blue Jay Peak nearly 1,700 feet of prominence and the appearance of being its own singular mountain. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and also there are so many things to see and do.

The San Simon Valley is a broad valley east of the Chiricahua Mountains, in the northeast corner of Cochise County, Arizona and southeastern Graham County, with a small portion near Antelope Pass in Hidalgo County of southwestern New Mexico. The valley trends generally north–south but in its northern portion trends northwest–southeast.

The The Gila Valley Arizona Temple is the 132nd dedicated temple in operation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

San Simon River is an ephemeral river, or stream running through the San Simon Valley in Graham and Cochise County, Arizona and Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Its mouth is at its confluence with the Gila River at Safford in Graham County.

Hot Well Dunes provides the opportunity to ride 2,000 acres of sand dunes, set up a camp, and then soak in relaxing hot tubs, all in the same location.The sands at the Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area were a beach surrounding a lake approximately two million years ago. What remains today is one of the most unique recreation spots in Arizona.

The Rex Allen Museum is located in one of Willcox's oldest commercial buildings. Constructed in the early 1890's of adobe. Allen was an authentic cowboy. Allen was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter. The museum includes photographs, movie posters, cowboy outfits, records, musical instruments and other memorabilia. The Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame features portraits of area old-time cowboys who worked in the ranch industry.

The 23,000-acre Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area includes four perennial waterways, the Gila and San Francisco rivers and Bonita and Eagle creeks. This region is a very special riparian ecosystem abounding with plant and animal diversity. Impressive Gila Conglomerate cliffs tower more than 1,000 feet above the Gila River, and bighorn sheep are commonly spotted. Bonita Creek, a key tributary of the Gila River, is lined with large cottonwoods, sycamores, and willows.

The Whitlock Valley is a small valley in southeast Graham County, Arizona, southwestern United States, lying between three mountain ranges. The valley lies on the south perimeter region of the White Mountains in eastern Arizona, and lies south of the west-flowing Gila River, and the region transitions south into Cochise County and three large valleys, with some scattered dry lakes.

The Santa Teresa Mountains are a mountain range located within the Coronado National Forest and partly within the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, in western Graham County, Arizona. The highpoint of the range located in the Coronado National Forest section is 7,481 ft, however the high point of the entire range is Mt. Turnbull at 8,282 ft elevation and is located on the reservation.

Black Hills rockhound area is located on the north side of Arizona route 191, between Safford and Clifton, about 18 miles north of Safford.This rockhound area makes a great day adventure for rock collectors. The principal attraction for rock collectors here is fire agate. Fire agate is a relatively new gemstone, only identified and formally recognized in the 1930s. It has the color play of precious opal with gem quality reds, greens, and blues.

The 76,317-acre Galiuro Wilderness encompasses the mid to upper slopes of the mountains as they rise from golden grasslands, through dense thickets of evergreen oak, to stands of ponderosa pine. The mountains support vegetation varying from semidesert grasslands through pinion, juniper, oak, and brush to mixed conifers and even aspens in the higher elevations. A variety of wildlife can be found in the Galiuro Wilderness, including large mammals.