Santa Cruz County - 45 Attractions You Must Visit

Mount Wrightson is the tallest peak in the vicinity of Tucson Arizona. It is located in Madera Canyon, part of the Santa Rita mountains and the Coronado National Forest, and it's a popular excursion approximately 30-minutes south of Tucson. It is a popular destination for many a desert dweller and offers a variety of hiking trails and recreation areas.

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.

The Mustang Mountains are a mountain range located in the southeast region of Arizona, are on the northwest side of Fort Huachuca. They are found at the southern end of the Whetstone Mountains.

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.

Pajarita Wilderness is a 7,553-acre property in Coronado National Forest against the Sonora border. The array of canyons that make up the area sit at the western end of the Pajarito Mountains, and form a well-known migration route for birds. Sycamore Canyon is the centerpiece of the wilderness, a riparian forest that supports more than 160 bird species.

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.

Patagonia Lake State Park was established in 1975 as a state park and is an ideal place to find whitetail deer roaming the hills and great blue herons walking the shoreline.The park offers a beach, picnic area with ramadas, tables & grills, a creek trail, boat ramps, a marina, and the Lakeside Market. There is a campground, boat-in camp sites, restrooms, showers, and a dump station. The Lakeside Market offers boat rentals, fishing licenses, bait, ice, and more.

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.

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.

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.

A beautiful reservoir in Arizona, which offers year-round outdoor and water recreation. Surrounded by grassy hills, Peña Blanca Lake, near Nogales, AZ is the perfect outdoor retreat. This is a popular recreation spot for visitors from neighboring Nogales, Arizona and nearby communities in Mexico. On weekends, and some weekdays, during the peak summer season, this area can be quite crowded.

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.

A 100% estate winery located in Elgin, Arizona. The wines are unique and masterfully created by the owner/winemaker Chris and his amazing wife Breanna. Every time you walk into this place, it’s familiar and comfortable with great music. Beyond that, you’ll meet a variety of animal hosts who are just as happy to see you as everyone else there.

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.

Rune Wines is an off-grid winery and tasting room in beautiful Sonoita. Visit Arizona’s only off-grid solar-powered winery and tasting room in Sonoita, Arizona. They are one of the only Arizona wineries that sources grapes from the best vineyards across the state, so you can truly taste the terroir of Arizona at Rune.

This is a high intermontane grass valley in eastern Santa Cruz, and it is bounded to the west by the Patagonia Mountains. This beautiful valley is the headwaters of the Santa Cruz River, which flows into Mexico then turns north back into the United States and eventually joins the Gila River. The riparian areas and native grass prairie are home to many species of plants and animals.

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.

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

This beautiful wineyards sits on a hilltop in the rolling grasslands of Southern Arizona at an elevation of 5,000 feet. This is the oldest commercial vineyard and winery in Arizona. Sonoita Vineyards is now 3rd generation and includes over 30 acres of vines. Every bottle of wine is hand bottled, labeled, and capped in small batches at less than 2,000 bottles per vintage.

Sunnyside Canyon is a 2 mile moderately popular blue singletrack trail located near Sierra Vista Arizona. This multi-use trail can be used both directions. On average it takes 15 minutes to complete this trail.