Discover Santa Cruz

In Santa Cruz County, Tumacácori National Historical Park protects the ruins of three Spanish colonial missions: San José de Tumacácori, Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi, and San Cayetano de Calabazas. These three names belong to a landscape where history, river nature, and trails offer different starting points for planning a trip.

Mission History and Places in Tubac

Another historical landmark is Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. It preserves the ruins of San Ignacio de Tubac, the oldest Spanish presidio in Arizona, founded in 1752. The park was Arizona’s first state park; its collection also includes Arizona’s first printing press. A museum is located in the Tumacácori Visitor Center, a National Historic Landmark.

The Anza expedition also shapes Tubac’s history: Tubac Presidio was its official starting point. During Anza Days, the expedition’s passage through Tubac is reenacted annually. Since the event program may change, it’s a good idea to check the dates before traveling. In Old Town Tubac, Calle de Iglesias is one of the oldest streets in the Americas still open to traffic; visitors can drive along it.

Riverside Habitats and Wildlife

Sonoita Creek State Natural Area lies downstream from Patagonia Lake State Park, along the lower reaches of Sonoita Creek. The creek is a perennial tributary of the Santa Cruz River. More than 300 species migrate through, nest, or live in the riparian habitat of the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. Three miles of easy trails follow Sonoita Creek through rare cottonwood and willow forests.

The nature sites offer different highlights: the Preserve combines riparian habitat with trails, while the State Natural Area is described as being on the lower reaches of a perennial creek. For travelers interested in river landscapes, these details are a practical starting point for deciding what they’d like to focus on during their trip.

Trails Between History and Landscape

The first section of the Anza Trail built in Arizona is four miles long and runs between Tumacácori National Historical Park and Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. It is designated exclusively for hiking and horseback riding. The trail between Tumacácori and Tubac follows the Santa Cruz River through riparian habitats with cottonwood and mesquite. From Tumacácori National Historical Park, visitors can explore part of the Anza Trail on foot; Tubac Presidio State Historic Park serves as a starting point for hiking preserved sections of the trail.

In the Sonoita area, visitors can stroll along the elevated railroad embankment on which the Railroad Trail was built. The Anza Trail and the Railroad Trail thus offer different trail experiences: one focuses on the connection between historic places and is explicitly limited to hiking and horseback riding, while the other offers a walk along an elevated railroad embankment.

Landscape at Sonoita Vineyards

Sonoita Vineyards sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet in gently rolling grassland, surrounded by high mountain ranges on three sides. The winery has more than 30 acres of vineyards. It regularly hosts a variety of special events throughout the year; the program may change. If you’d like to include these events in your trip plans, check the current dates.

For regional context: Santa Cruz County is part of the 3,300-square-mile Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area. Along the Santa Cruz River watershed, the area brings together the natural and cultural environment, historic places, and working landscapes.

When planning a hotel stay in Santa Cruz, it helps to first decide what you’d like to focus on during your trip: mission history, hiking trails, river nature, or the landscape at Sonoita Vineyards each offers a different experience.

Discover more destinations: Tubac, Nogales, Rio Rico, Amado, Patagonia, Mohave, Coconino, Yavapai.

For the broader travel overview: Arizona.