20 Attractions to Explore Near Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness

Aravaipa Creek lies within the Basin and Range region of southern Arizona, emerging from the Pinaleno, Santa Teresa, and Galiuro mountains at an elevation of about 3,000 feet.This Creek flows year-round, an unusual phenomenon in the Arizona desert. Nurtured by this abundant water, large sycamore, ash, cottonwood, and willow trees flourish along the stream, flanked by other riparian vegetation.

Mount Turnbull is the highest point in the Santa Teresa Mountains in western Graham County, Arizona. The summit has an elevation of 8,284 feet and a prominence of 3,562 feet. It is the highest point in the Santa Teresa Mountains and the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. A recreational permit is required for access to reservation land.

The Needle's Eye Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System established by the Wilderness Act of 1964. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. It is surrounded by the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation to the north and south, and private lands to the east and west. Visitors must obtain permission in advance to access the Wilderness.

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.

Coolidge Dam is a concrete multiple dome and buttress dam located on the Gila River in Arizona, United States. It was opened in the 1930s to provide irrigation water for the surrounding region. The dam is 249 feet tall and 580 feet long and impounds the waters of the Gila River to form San Carlos Reservoir.

San Carlos is one of eight lakes with desert surroundings created by damming rivers in the hills around Phoenix, and like the others, it has quite a dramatic setting. The lake is located within the 3,000-square-mile San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, and is thus subject to tribal regulations.Jet-skiing, water skiing, and boating are also allowed.

San Carlos Lake was formed by the construction of the Coolidge Dam and is rimmed by 158 miles (254 km) of shoreline. The lake is located within the 3,000-square-mile San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Because of irrigation needs, the water level at the lake sometimes is low enough to kill its self-sustaining fish, but during wet years, the water can overtop Coolidge Dam. Since construction of the dam, the lake has been nearly empty at least 20 times, and has been full only three times.

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.

The Historic Kannally Ranch House in Oracle State Park was built in the later 1920s and early 1930s in Oracle, AZ.The original 160-acre ranch was purchased by Neil and Lee Kannally in 1903. The two brothers were later joined by three other family members and the ranch grew to almost 50,000 acres.The present Kannally Ranch House was built in 1929Ð1932 and is of Mediterranean Revival Style with Moorish influences, patterned on Italianate villas of the 1920s.

This is a 4,000 acre wildlife refuge in the northern foothills of the Catalina Mountains. The park offers day-use picnic areas and over 15 miles of trails for use by hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. The most common plants in Oracle State Park are prickly pear and cholla cactus, scrub oak, mesquite, many wildflowers, and the occasional piñon and juniper. Bird species include red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, prairie falcons, black-throated sparrows and so more.

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.

Peppersauce Cave is a limestone cave found in the Santa Catalina Mountains approximately ten miles south of Oracle, Arizona. Peppersauce is frequented by about 23,000 visitors every year and contains approximately one mile of mapped passages. The cave has been subject to vandalism and heavy littering for over fifty years.

The Coronado National Forest is a United States National Forest that includes an area of about 1.78 million acres spread throughout mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. The national forest is divided into five ranger districts, which are not contiguous; each consists of multiple sky island mountain ranges.

Biosphere 2 is an American Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe. It is a 3.14-acre structure originally built to be an artificial, materially closed ecological system, or vivarium. It remains the largest closed ecological system ever created.

Pinal Mountains are a mountain range located in Gila County, Arizona. They have a maximum elevation of 7,848 ft at Pinal Peak and a prominence of over 4,000 ft. The mountains are covered with Ponderosa Pine and white fir and experience cooler weather than the Globe/Miami area, so that they are a popular recreation area in the summer. The maintained facilities include a maintained dirt road that goes all the way to the summit of Pinal Peak, a campsite and recreational area, many hiking trails.

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.

The Redfield Canyon Wilderness (6,600 acres) is in southeastern Arizona. It is a narrow red-walled chasm suitable for hiking during the spring and fall seasons. Tall cliffs pocked with eroded caves and strewn with boulders, Redfield Canyon offers the visitor a variety of recreational opportunities. It became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System established by the Wilderness Act of 1964.

Lake Takalai is a reservoir in Arizona and has an elevation of 817 metres. It is situated nearby to Elgo Dam, and northeast of Sevenmile Wash. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and also there are so many things to see and do.

Ice House CCC is a campground located near the city of Globe. The campground is maintained by US National Forest.This site serves as a trailhead for the Pinal Mountain Trail System. Trails accessible from the site are Sixshooter and Telephone trails which link to several other non-motorized trail opportunities. Nearby Pinal Creek offers a shady riparian area surrounded by chaparral.

Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is a recreational ski area in the U.S. state of Arizona, and the southernmost ski destination in the continental United States. Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is located on the slopes of Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains just north of Tucson, Arizona. It is part of the Coronado National Forest, located near the mountaintop village of Summerhaven.