Pictures courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona -Las Cienegas National Conservation Area.
Campground Overview:
Las Cienegas National Conservation Area encompasses more than 45,000 acres of rolling grasslands and woodlands in southeastern Arizona. Thanks to the efforts of local governments, elected officials and the public, the Empire and Cienega ranches, along with portions of the adjacent Rose Tree and Vera Earl ranches, are now under public ownership and managed by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the principles of multiple-use and ecosystem management for future generations to use and enjoy.
In a state where desert arroyos, washes, and many streambeds remain bone-dry most of the time, the year-round flow of Cienega Creek makes it a highly valuable resource. A lush green ribbon of vegetation defines one of the most significant riparian zones in southern Arizona. Cienega Creek gets its name from the cienegas, or marshes, which occur along its length. This rare vegetation community has nearly disappeared in the Southwest. The national conservation area includes a working cattle ranch. Visitors are asked to leave all gates as they are found. There is no trash pick up, so visitors need to pack up all trash. The area is a travel corridor for illegal immigrants traveling from Mexico. Visitors should report all suspected illegal activities to BLM or local law enforcement authorities and stay safe by avoiding contact with persons exhibiting suspicious behavior or engaged in dangerous activities.
Campsites:
Las Cienegas National Conservation Area allows primitive dispersed camping on existing sites only. Camping may not exceed 14 consecutive days. Visitors must camp at least 0.25 mile from cattle and wildlife water holes. Campers need to bring water and firewood. Campfires are allowed, except during periods of extreme fire danger. The main camping areas include Oak Tree Canyon Camp Area, Cieneguita Campground, and Road Canyon Camp Area. Large group sites are Airstrip Group Site and Trailhead, Maternity Well Group Site, and Old Ag Fields Group Site.
Las Cienegas is located 45 miles southeast of Tucson. Arizona. From Tucson, drive southeast on Interstate 10 to exit 281. Head south on State Highway 83. Near milepost 40, turn east into the ranch entrance.
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Dispersed |
Season: |
Year-Round |
Nearby City: |
Tucson |
Fishing: |
None |
Campground Website: |
Las Cienegas National Conservation Area |
Campground Map: |
Click Here |
Reservations: |
First-come, first-served basis |
Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
Southern Arizona has a wealth of cultural, historical and natural resources. There are many opportunities for half or full day, side trips in the surrounding area. Walk back into the Old West and stand in the footprints of the Earp brothers at the OK Corral in Tombstone, relive the mining boomtown days by vising the areas ghost towns and mines, or explore the remnants of old forts, Indian ruins, and Spanish missions. Get out and hike on the Coronado National Forest’s numerous trails and explore the “Sky Islands” mountains which rise from the desert
The Empire Ranch Headquarters is magnificently situated in the high Sonoran Desert and rolling grasslands of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (LCNCA), located just 50 miles southeast of Tucson, and 10 miles north of Sonoita. The Ranch Headquarters and the LCNCA are open daily to visitors from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Contact Center is open during docent tours, volunteer work days, and special events. Click here for a schedule of upcoming events and more details.
There is no charge for entry and permits are not generally required to visit the national conservation area. The Empire Ranch House is a 22-room adobe and wood frame building, which dates to 1870 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The ranch sits at the heart of the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (NCA), on public lands acquired and administered since 1988 by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tucson Field Office.
Discover the Empire Ranch through self-guided tours using interpretive information designed for public learning. Explore the historic buildings at Headquarters on your own. Walking Guide brochures are available for use from the Visitor Contact Station.
Santa Rita Mountains located about 40 miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona. The diversity which characterizes this range extends into other, more out of the way, habitats within the Wilderness, serving as a powerful attraction to nature lovers who value wildlife watching as a vital element of their wilderness experience. The highest point in the range, and the highest point in the Tucson area, is Mount Wrightson, with an elevation of 9,453 feet. The range contains Madera Canyon, one of the world’s premier birding areas. The Smithsonian Institution’s Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory is located on Mount Hopkins.
The Santa Rita Mountains are mostly within the Coronado National Forest. Prior to 1908 they were the principal component of Santa Rita National Forest, which was combined with other small forest tracts to form Coronado. Much of the range is protected by the Mount Wrightson Wilderness. Numerous trails take visitors through the area. The more popular hikes include: Bog Springs Trail #156, Sycamore Canyon Trail #40, and Kent Spring Trail #157 Loop.
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park is dedicated to preserving the history of the settlement of the territory that would eventually become Arizona. It’s collection includes numerous artifacts from the 1700s as well as a starting point to hike what remains of the Anza trail.
The park includes various buildings and exhibits with numerous originally artifacts from early Native American archaeological and ethnographic collections, Spanish Colonial and Missions, Mining, Ranching, Civil War, Arizona Territorial Period, Women and Children, and the original Washington Printing Press that printed Arizona’s first newspaper in 1859. Buildings include a Visitor Center, Tubac Presidio Museum houses, Archaeological Excavation Exhibit, the second oldest territorial Schoolhouse in Arizona, Otero Hall, and the Rojas House.
Tumacácori National Historical Park is located in the upper Santa Cruz River Valley in Santa Cruz County, southern Arizona. The park consists of 360 acres in three separate units. 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.
The first Spanish Colonial Jesuit missions in the locale were established in 1691, Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori (at Tumacácori) and Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi, are the two oldest missions in southern Arizona. The Franciscan church of Mission San José de Tumacácori, across the river from and replacing Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori, was built in the 1750s. The third mission was established in 1756, Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas.
The Mission San José de Tumacácori complex is open to the public. Nearby are the park’s visitor center and the Tumacácori Museum in a historic Mission Revival style building. The Tumacácori missions complex was originally protected as Tumacácori National Monument, in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. In 1990 the national monument was redesignated a National Historical Park. The Guevavi and Calabazas mission units were added to the Tumacácori missions complex unit, within the new Tumacácori National Historical Park.
The site was on the route of the 1775-1776 Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition from New Spain to Alta California, the first Spanish overland expedition to claimed but un-colonized upper Las Californias territory. A 4.5 miles (7.2 km) segment of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail lies along the Santa Cruz River between Tumacácori National Historical Park and Tubac Presidio State Historic Park.
Patagonia Lake State Park tucked away in the rolling hills of southeastern Arizona is a hidden treasure. 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 campground, beach, picnic area with ramadas, tables and grills, a creek trail, boat ramps, and a marina.
The nearby Lakeside Market offers boat rentals and supplies. The campground overlooks the lake where anglers catch crappie, bass, bluegill, catfish, and trout. The park is popular for water skiing, fishing, camping, picnicking, and hiking. And the tracks of the New Mexico/Arizona railroad lie beneath the lake and remnants of the old historic line may be found at the Nature Conservancy in Patagonia. Hikers can stroll along the creek trail and see birds such as the canyon towhee, Inca dove, vermilion flycatcher, black vulture, and several species of hummingbirds.
Nearby Campgrounds:
Campground full or want to see what’s around? Try one of these campgrounds located nearby
