It was a journey of conquest filled with exploration, wonder - and cruelty.
Inspired by tales of vast cities of gold, 339 European soldiers and over a
thousand Aztec allies embarked on an epic journey through arid deserts and
rugged mountains. They encountered rich traditions and brought new
technologies. The resulting collision and combination of cultures reverberates
today.

It was a journey of conquest filled with exploration, wonder - and cruelty. Inspired by tales of vast cities of gold, 339 European soldiers and over a thousand Aztec allies embarked on an epic journey through arid deserts and rugged mountains. They encountered rich traditions and brought new technologies. The resulting collision and combination of cultures reverberates today.

Coronado National Monument

Sunsets from Montezuma Pass provide a beautiful opportunity to gaze out into the Sky Islands.

Sunset From Montezuma Pass

View from the Coronado Cave trail.

View from the cave trail

Each year the pink-throated morning glories bloom during monsoon season in the grasslands

Pink-throated morning glories in the grasslands

Coronado Cave is a large limestone cavern with cave formations such as stalactites and stalagmites

Cave formations of Coronado Cave

A great diversity of birds are found in and near Coronado National Memorial

Vermillion Flycatcher

A field of wildflowers blooms in the grasslands, one of the many life zones in the park

Wildflowers and Montezuma Peak

Views stretch along mountain ridges and beyond the US/Mexico border from Montezuma Pass,

View from Montezuma Pass at sunset

Coronado National Memorial

The San Pedro riparian area, containing about 40 miles of the upper San Pedro
River, was designated by Congress as a National Conservation Area (NCA) on
November 18, 1988. The primary purpose for the designation is to protect and
enhance the desert riparian ecosystem, a rare remnant of what was once an
extensive network of similar riparian systems throughout the Southwest.  
  
Many recreational opportunities are available within the NCA. Three of the
most popular sites are:  
  
**Murray Springs Clovis Site****,** a significant archaeological site that
contains an undisturbed stratigraphic record of the past 40,000 years.
Excavations were conducted by the University of Arizona from 1966 to 1971.
People first arrived in this area 11,000 years ago. They belonged to what we
now call the Clovis Culture and were the earliest known people to have
inhabited North America. Named after the distinctive and beautifully crafted
Clovis spear points they made, they were expert hunters of the large mammals
of the last Ice Age. An interpretive trail leads visitors through the site.
From Sierra Vista, take Arizona Route 90 east six miles to Moson Road. Turn
left and go about 1.2 miles to the signed turnoff to Murray Springs. Park your
vehicle and proceed by foot down the access road to the trail leading to the
Murray Springs Clovis Site. The access road leading to the Murray Springs
trail is currently closed to vehicle traffic.  
  
The Spanish **Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate** is the most intact remaining
example of a once-extensive network of similar presidios. These fortresses
marked the northern extension of New Spain into the New World. Only a stone
foundation and a few remaining adobe wall remnants mark the location of an
isolated and dangerous military station. From Fairbank on Arizona Route 82,
drive approximately 2 miles west on Route 82, turn right on the Kellar Ranch
Road and travel approximately 3 miles to the trailhead. Hike about 2 miles to
the ruins and interpretive displays.  
  
**The San Pedro House**, located 9 miles east of Sierra Vista on Arizona Route
90, is a popular trailhead for birdwatchers, hikers, and mountain bikers. The
Friends of San Pedro operate a bookstore and information center.

The San Pedro riparian area, containing about 40 miles of the upper San Pedro River, was designated by Congress as a National Conservation Area (NCA) on November 18, 1988. The primary purpose for the designation is to protect and enhance the desert riparian ecosystem, a rare remnant of what was once an extensive network of similar riparian systems throughout the Southwest. Many recreational opportunities are available within the NCA. Three of the most popular sites are: <a href="https://www.blm.gov/visit/murray-springs-clovis-site" rel="nofollow">Murray Springs Clovis Site</a>, a significant archaeological site that contains an undisturbed stratigraphic record of the past 40,000 years. Excavations were conducted by the University of Arizona from 1966 to 1971. People first arrived in this area 11,000 years ago. They belonged to what we now call the Clovis Culture and were the earliest known people to have inhabited North America. Named after the distinctive and beautifully crafted Clovis spear points they made, they were expert hunters of the large mammals of the last Ice Age. An interpretive trail leads visitors through the site. From Sierra Vista, take Arizona Route 90 east six miles to Moson Road. Turn left and go about 1.2 miles to the signed turnoff to Murray Springs. Park your vehicle and proceed by foot down the access road to the trail leading to the Murray Springs Clovis Site. The access road leading to the Murray Springs trail is currently closed to vehicle traffic. The Spanish <a href="https://www.blm.gov/visit/presidio-santa-cruz-terrenate" rel="nofollow">Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate</a> is the most intact remaining example of a once-extensive network of similar presidios. These fortresses marked the northern extension of New Spain into the New World. Only a stone foundation and a few remaining adobe wall remnants mark the location of an isolated and dangerous military station. From Fairbank on Arizona Route 82, drive approximately 2 miles west on Route 82, turn right on the Kellar Ranch Road and travel approximately 3 miles to the trailhead. Hike about 2 miles to the ruins and interpretive displays. <a href="https://www.blm.gov/visit/san-pedro-house" rel="nofollow">The San Pedro House</a>, located 9 miles east of Sierra Vista on Arizona Route 90, is a popular trailhead for birdwatchers, hikers, and mountain bikers. The Friends of San Pedro operate a bookstore and information center.

Day use throughout the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area is free;
you don't need a permit.

You must have a permit for overnight backcountry camping. Permit fees are $2
per person per night. You may have a campfire only in designated areas.
Camping is limited to seven consecutive nights in any one location, unless
otherwise authorized.

Commercial operators must secure special authorization prior to their planned
visit.

Coronado National Memorial

Directions

Reviews

Nearby Parks

San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area