"BLUE HAVEN ROAD, PATAGONIA-SONOITA CREEK PRESERVE -002 (11-19-11) copy" by ALAN SCHMIERER , public domain
Sonoita CreekBrochure and Map |
Brochure and Map of Sonoita Creek State Natural Area (SNA) in Arizona. Published by Arizona State Parks & Trails.
featured in
Arizona Pocket Maps |
Nearby Parks
Habitat
Park Rules
If you’re having a great time here, don’t forget
to visit one of the four nearby state parks!
Patagonia Lake State Park (1.3 miles)
Tucked away in the rolling hills of southeastern
AZ is a hidden treasure. 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. (520) 287-6965
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (33
miles) Arizona’s first state park, this historic
site rests on the Anza Trail and commemorates
the oldest Spanish presidio in Arizona with
a museum, schoolhouse, colonial ruins, and
picnic grounds. (520) 398-2252
Sonoita Creek State Natural Area is unique
in that, within a relatively small area, seven
distinct vegetative communities are present
ranging from semi-desert grasslands to
riparian deciduous forests. The visual and
biological characteristics of these communities
are markedly different, and their combined
presence in a relatively small area is quite rare.
The natural area is located in a transitional
zone between the Sonoran Desert an the
Chihuahuan Desert. Representative species
from each zone can be observed within its
boundaries.
General Rules
• Do not litter! “Leave no trace” and pack
out what you bring in, or use the trash
receptacles provided in the park.
• Drive your vehicle only on designated
paved surfaces. Park only in designated
parking areas. Do not park on the side of
the road.
• Stay on designated trails. Cutting trails
degrades habitat and harms the landscape.
• Do not use glass containers in the park.
• All of our parks adhere to firearm and
hunting regulations. Please familiarize
yourself with this information.
Fires
• Keep fires in grills or designated state parks
fire rings. Never leave fires unattended!
• Only charcoal fires and propane fires are
allowed in the park.
• Do not gather firewood in the parks.
Firewood is for sale in most park stores.
• Fireworks are not permitted in state parks.
• Be “fire smart” and check fire restrictions at
azstateparks.com/fire-safety.
Camping
• Campsites are limited to up to six adults
and up to 10 people total.
Pets
• Keep your pets on a maximum six-foot
leash at all times. Pets must be attended at
all times.
• Pick up after your pet.
• For additional information related to pets,
visit our website or ask park staff.
Natural Area Rules
• A permit is required for each person and
each horse before entering the natural
area. Permits are available at the Patagonia
Lake Visitor Center.
• No bicycles or motorized vehicles.
• Horses must stay on designated trails and
cannot stay overnight. Feed horses weedfree hay for seven days before entering the
natural area.
The rules of this park are not
limited to the rules listed above.
Additional park rules may be found at
azstateparks.com.
Kartchner Caverns State Park (54 miles)
“Arizona’s Best Attraction” as voted by USA
Today’s 2017 Reader’s Poll, this hidden jewel
features cave formations found nowhere
else in the world. Take the Throne Room tour
and see the five-story formation Kubla Khan!
(520) 586-4100
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park
(62 miles) Located in “the town too tough to
die,” this preserved court building houses a
collection of historic artifacts and memorabilia
from the legendary American Old West. (520)
457-3311
Established 1957
Sonoita Creek State Park
SONOITA CREEK
STATE NATURAL AREA
Management Goals
01/22
Established in 1994, the mission of Sonoita
Creek State Natural Area is to preserve
this fragile riparian area and its surrounding
environment. Encompassing a major portion
of the Sonoita Creek and Coal Mine Spring
watersheds, this is Arizona’s first significant
natural area.
The natural area protects not only the
endangered Gila Topminnow and several
special-status birds, but also historical and
cultural relics. Low impact recreation such
as hiking and bird watching co-exist with
educational and scientific research at Sonoita
Creek State Natural Area.
Thank You for visiting!
400 Patagonia Lake, Patagonia, AZ 85624
(520) 287-2791 | 1-877-MYPARKS
AZStateParks.com/sonoita-creek
AZStateParks
Like/Follow/Watch us on:
1-877-MYPARKS | azstateparks.com
Sonoita Creek State Natural Area is home to
one of Arizona’s few permanently flowing
streams and provides habitat for many rare
species of fish, birds, and plants. Because of
this, Arizona State Parks & Trails has distinct
goals for managing this area.
Maintaining natural surface water flow supports
many of our other goals, including protecting
and restoring riparian and upland habitat,
maintaining diverse and healthy populations
of native wildlife, as well as protecting existing
populations of special-status, native wildlife.
The natural area is also a cultural resource for
Native communities historically connected to
the area.
We’re happy to receive visitors, but because
of the sensitivity of the area, please pack out
what you bring in and leave all plants, animals,
insects, rocks, and other items in the natural
area.
Birding
The natural area offers exceptional birding
opportunities. Over 315 resident and
migratory bird species inhabit Sonoita
Creek and Patagonia Lake including eastern,
western, and accidental Mexican species such
as the elegant trogon, rufous-backed robin,
and the black-capped gnatcatcher. A schedule
of birding hikes and boat tours are available
online.
G r
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Arizona Game & Fish
Coal Mine Spring Property
Managed by SCSNA
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Trails may be unmaintained.
Travel at your own risk.
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Sonoita
Created by: ASPT GIS Team Date:5/29/2019
Cuates Buttes
#
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SC
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11mi
18km
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Cat Cave
Coal Mine Spring
Coal Mine Spring Campsite
Foothills
Horse Corral
Overlook
New Mexico & Arizona Railroad
Sonoita Creek
Vista
38
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S O N O I TA
Other Boundary
Length One Way
mi
km
1.4
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0.5
0.4
0.6
1.4
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Visitor Center Location
LAND
To
Nogales
15mi
24km