While the Grand Canyon's "grandness" usually overshadows most of the state's other outdoor attractions, Arizona has plentiful natural wonders just as worthy of a visit. Among Arizona's public lands, you can find unique yet little-known gems like the stunning Petrified Forest National Park. Much further south, near Arizona's border with Mexico, lies a quietly beautiful and ecologically significant nature preserve that brings a tranquil serenity to the state's fiery desert vibrancy. The Buenos Aires
National Wildlife Refuge doesn't have the kind of "take-your-breath-away" grandeur of the Grand Canyon, or the iconic Western vistas of Monument Valley. What it does have, however, is a rich tapestry of animal and plant life protected in a surprisingly lush corridor of the Sonoran Desert. Here, among the backdrop of picturesque grasslands and rolling mountains across the horizon, you can find some of Arizona's best wildlife viewing opportunities, all in a pristine natural habitat.
Located a mere hour and a half from Tucson, and just north of the U.S.-Mexican border, the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge seems almost thousands of miles from human civilization. Yet, underneath its placid exterior lies a thriving wildlife community, including iconic desert animals, an extensive aviary of birds, and some of the rarest land mammals in the United States. For visitors, the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge has an extensive trail system that offers both scenic landscape views and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. And if you're more keen on relaxing, the park also has plenty of great spots for picnicking and camping out in the heart of one of Arizona's wildest places.
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Discover A Haven For Arizona's Unique And Majestic Wildlife
The Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge protects 117,464 acres across Southern Arizona's Pima County. While virtually everywhere in Southern Arizona is beautiful, this particular stretch of land is notable for protecting a complex interrelationship of different ecosystems and biotic communities of plants and animals. The refuge's landscape includes vast grasslands, cottonwood and willow forests, sycamore-laden canyons, and even rare Arizona wetlands! All of these vibrant eco-regions lie within the larger context of Arizona's formidable Sonoran Desert. Among travelers, the Sonoran Desert is most famous for its iconic saguaro cacti, which tower as tall as trees over outdoor attractions like its namesake Arizona desert gem of Saguaro National Park.
Yet the Sonoran Desert has a much richer and more diverse collection of ecosystems than most visitors would expect, as the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge can attest. The park's grasslands and cottonwood forests provide a much fuller bio-cover than what you'd find elsewhere in the Sonoran Desert. In essence, a visit to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is like stepping out of the Arizona desert and into the rich grasslands of Texas or Oklahoma. Geologically, the park also protects an eye-catching complex of canyons that keeps the Arizona side of the park in the picture. The park's Brown Canyon even has the remains of a 200-million-year-old volcano.
With the word "wildlife" right in its name, the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is unsurprisingly home to abundant wildlife. Throughout the park, you have a good chance of seeing notable Arizona species like pronghorn, mule deer, javalina, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, rattlesnakes, gila monsters, desert tortoises, coati, ringtails, mountain lions, and lots and lots of birds. On rare occasions, the park even hosts jaguars crossing over from Mexico!
Explore One Of Arizona's Most Underrated Outdoor Wonderlands
Though the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge serves as a protected haven for several communities of plants and animals, judicious visitors can still have amazing outdoor adventures throughout the preserve. Much of the park's very limited infrastructure consists of scenic hiking trails that let you explore this amazing landscape in peace and solitude. The Arivaca Creek Trail, for example, is a stunning 4.4-mile hike across much of the park's eco-regions, with just enough challenges to give you a workout. Wildlife watching, and particularly birdwatching, are unsurprisingly popular and worthwhile activities within the park. Being in Arizona, the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is also a top spot for both horseback riding and mountain biking.
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge makes for a unique and memorable day trip. However, if you're looking to stay overnight, the park does have several primitive campsites spread out across its back roads. Of course, being just an hour and a half from Tucson, you can indulge in more modern overnight amenities at many of Tucson's excellent hotels and overnight lodging options. Tucson also has plenty of more developed campsites, which give you a bit more in the way of amenities than Buenos Aires's primitive backcountry offerings, while still letting you experience the Arizona outdoors firsthand. While there, you can complement your visit to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge with a trip to Tucson's world-renowned Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where you can learn (and experience) even more of this incredible ecosystem!
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