Tucson Day Trips

Aravaipa Canyon – West: A Day Trip From Tucson

We had seen so many beautiful images of Aravaipa Canyon like this one that we wanted to experience this wilderness preserve for ourselves. So, in early February 2013 I went on the BLM website and purchased permits: 4 to get us into the West Entrance on a Sunday in late February and 3 permits for the next Sunday at the East Entrance.
The permits are only $5 for each person. The BLM severely restricts the number of people who can use the Canyon at any one time. Something like 50 total. Also on a limited basis you can ride your horse through here, but you can’t bring your dog.

Guided Hike to Charleston Ruins

For all you Ghost Town fanatics. Occasionally, the Friends of San Pedro River conduct a Members-only guided hike to Charleston Ruins. Charleston was a town on the west bank of the San Pedro River, directly across from Millville, that processed ore from Tombstone. When the mines in Tombstone were flooded … Continue reading

Muleshoe Ranch Preserve: Great Southern Arizona Bird Watching

Muleshoe Ranch, a preserve of the Nature Conservancy, is one of the five best conservation areas for bird watching in Southern Arizona. Over 200 species of birds either live here year-round or pause here along the streams on their seasonal migration.

Gleeson Ghost Town & Rattlesnake Oddities

Our April 2012 road trip took us first to the ghost town of Gleeson (yes, that’s how they spelled it). After a look around at some of the ruins, we headed west toward Tombstone on a dirt road for just a few miles until we saw the sign for Rattlesnake Crafts, one of Southern Arizona’s stranger places. John & Sandy Weber make and sell wallets, belts, and other items out of rattlesnake skins. They also have a significant collection of gems and Old West artifacts.

Things To Do In Graham Country: Roper Lake, Dankworth Ponds, & Discovery Park

The area near Safford has several worthwhile things to see and do: Roper Lake State Park, Dankworth Ponds, and Discovery Park. Just to the west of Safford is 10,000 foot-high Mt. Graham. At the top are some of the most powerful telescopes on earth. The road to Mt. Graham is about as steep, narrow, and windy as you’re likely to find in the United States. There’s a nice picnic area about 8 miles up this road from Rt. 191 a few miles south of Safford.

In The Middle of Nowhere: Rattlesnake Crafts & Rocks!

One of the stranger places we visited on our tour of Southeastern Arizona is John & Sandy’s Rattlesnake Crafts & Rocks. John makes wallets, belts, and other useful items and souvenirs out of rattlesnake skins and sells them out of an old trailer. He also collects a lot of stuff others have discarded as junk. Here you will find literally tons of Old West artifacts lovingly horded for decades and on display for your amusement. Old signs, bottles, tools, boots, lanterns, you-name-it.

Casa Grande National Monument Prehistoric Ruins

The Hohokam built this city in a most inhospitable place. This prehistoric site is seriously interesting.

The Village of Arivaca, The Ghost Town Of Ruby, & Sweet Peas Cafe’!

The road from Amado to Arivaca winds through rolling, mesquite-covered hills. It’s obviously very popular with cyclists, motor and otherwise.
Just before we arrived in town, we came to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge where, by appointment, we met and interviewed Richard Conway, a local geologist and Mary Scott, a seasoned birdwatcher and wildlife photographer.

Parker Canyon Lake

It took me only about an hour & a half to get to Parker Canyon Lake from Tucson. My friends were pulling a small trailer and it took them about a half hour longer. The road is paved but narrow for about the last 10 miles.

Saguaro National Park West – Bajada Loop Drive

This back road is one of our favorites, partly because it’s practically in our back yard and because it’s so indicative of the Sonoran Desert. Here in Saguaro National Park West you will be driving through a forest of giant Saguaros. And, within an easy quarter mile hike, you can … Continue reading