20 Attractions to Explore Near Patagonia Lake State Park

A beautiful manmade reservoir in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The lake was created by damming Sonoita Creek, and is a popular area for boating and sport fishing. The park offers a campground, beach, picnic area with ramadas, tables and grills, a creek trail, boat ramps, and a marina.

Sonoita Creek State Natural Area is a haven for more than 315 species of birds, which was located at the base of the Santa Rita Mountains near Patagonia. There are 26 recorded cultural resource sites located within the Natural Area that all have an Arizona State Museum Site Number associated with them. These sites range from a Hohokam field house to the historic New Mexico and Arizona railroad grade

Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve is one of Santa Cruz County's most sought out birding hot spots. Owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, it is actually one of the best bird watching havens in the Southwest. This lush riparian area provides habitat for over 200 species of birds. This site contains the first two miles of permanent flow of Sonoita Creek and the floodplains adjacent to the stream. The site contains very high biodiversity values.

Mission los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi is a National Historic Landmark located in the Tumacácori National Historical Park. It was founded by Jesuit missionary Fathers Kino and Salvatierra in 1691 as La Misión de San Gabriel de Guevavi, a district headquarters in what is now Arizona, near Tumacácori. Subsequent missionaries called it San Rafael and San Miguel, resulting in the common historical name of Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi.

The New Mexico & Arizona Railroad Trail, also known as the Railroad Grade Trail, is a rustic hiking and equestrian trail in the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area outside of Patagonia, Arizona. The area provides prime habitat for birds, including rare ones, best viewed in March through September or late April through May.

The Paton Center for Hummingbirds is a place to explore and experience the special birds of southeast Arizona. It is dedicated to the celebration and conservation of hummingbirds—and all of southeast Arizona’s astounding biodiversity—through recreation, education, and sustainable living. 213 bird species have been reported for this cozy home lot on the outskirts of Patagonia, including Violet-crowned Hummingbirds, Gray Hawks, Varied Buntings, Thick-billed Kingbirds.

A nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting and preserving the culture and history of eastern Santa Cruz County. This Museum strives to serve the community through educational programs focusing on the research, interpretation and exhibition of our cultural heritage.

Harshaw Creek is a stream in the Patagonia Mountains of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, named after David Tecumseh Harshaw, who settled along its banks in the mid-1870s. Much of Harshaw Creek is located within the Coronado National Forest and is available for recreational use. Several ranches are also located alongside the creek, although cattle grazing is limited. The creek and its tributaries were the center of extensive gold and silver mining activity beginning at the end of the 19th century.

A tributary stream of the Santa Cruz River in Santa Cruz County. It offers camp sites, hiking, and picnic areas for day use, and overlooks beautiful Patagonia Lake State Park.

Las Lagunas is a lush Natural Wetlands smack dab off the I-19 Freeway just 8 miles from the Mexican borderThis trail is great for walking and other nature trips, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. The site is managed by Santa Fe Ranch Foundation and the Las Lagunas de Anza outreach group.

This is a local museum and historical landmark in Nogales, Arizona. The museum showcases various artifacts and memorabilia from the ancient times of Pimeria Alta to help preserve and promote the historic territory. You shall find documents, artifacts and other objects of historic importance that portray the communities that lived in this ancient town.

Rock Corral Canyon in the Tumacacori Mountains is better known to some as Arizona's Wild Chile Botanical Area, but few have been there. Towering from the desert floor are spectacular granite peaks and enormous standing rocks with Granite Peak being the most notable feature in the area. Numerous activities are available in the area such as picnicking, geocaching, camping, rock hounding, rock climbing, hiking, and more.

Tumacácori National Historical Park in Southern Arizona protects the ruins of three missions founded during the Spanish colonial era. The park protects the ruins of three Spanish mission communities, two of which are National Historic Landmark sites. It also contains the landmark 1937 Tumacácori Museum building, also a National Historic Landmark.

A historic Spanish mission preserved in its present form by Franciscans in 1828.The mission is now part of Tumacácori National Historical Park, which contains three separate sections. This mission site is included in the Tumacácori National Historical Park that extends for 360 acres, and is open to the public daily.

Mount Hopkins is a 2600-meter tall mountain in the Santa Rita Mountains of southern Arizona. It is in the Coronado National Forest and is bounded on three sides by the Mount Wrightson Wilderness.

The Tubac Presidio is a central site in the history of the Native-American, Spanish, American Southwest, and the quintessential Arizona experience in the town "where art and history meet.” This Park allows you to explore this spectacular history, bringing relevance and the power of history to today’s global society. The park contains a museum, a number of historic sites, an underground archeology exhibit displaying the excavated foundations of the Tubac Presidio, and a picnic area.

Mount Wrightson is visible from great distances at a magnificent 7,000 feet from the desert floor, 9,452-foot. It has rough hillsides, deep canyons, and lofty ridges and peaks surrounded on all sides by semiarid hills and sloping grasslands.Much of this wilderness was affected by a wildfire during the summer of 2005. Trail and spring conditions have changed and current information should be obtained from the local Forest Service office prior to hiking or camping in this area.

This is the largest satellite facility of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), part of the Center for Astrophysics. It is their largest field installation outside of their main site in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located near Amado, Arizona on the summit, a ridge and at the foot of Mount Hopkins.

Peña Blanca Canyon is a valley in Arizona and has an elevation of 3780 feet. It is situated southeast of Lower Bellota Tank. It is one of the iconic location where you can spend some nice time in the middle of nature. There is option for trekking and also so many other adventure activities too.

Josephine Saddle is a great stopping place for a hike going up Colby Canyon or to take a break for a longer hike. There are great views from the saddle, a pretty nice flat area. Also at the saddle area is the top of a water tank which provides a nice place to sit and dangle one’s legs while taking in the view.