Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
476
Moments
Hummingbird Heaven
If it's summer and you're looking to add as many hummingbirds to your life list as
possible, take a drive up Miller Canyon (south of Ramsey Canyon) to
Beatty's
Miller Canyon Guest Ranch and Orchard,
2173 E. Miller Canyon Rd., Hereford
(
&
520/378-2728;
www.beattysguestranch.com), where a public hummingbird-
viewing area is set up. A total of 15 species of hummers have been sighted here,
and several times, 14 species have been seen in 1 day.
Serious birders who want to be sure to add lots of rare birds to their life lists might
want to visit this area on a guided tour. Your best bet is
Mark Pretti Nature Tours
(
&
520/803-6889;
www.markprettinaturetours.com), run by the former resident natu-
ralist at Ramsey Canyon Preserve. A half-day birding tour costs $120 and a full-day tour
costs $200 to $220. Melody Kehl's
Outdoor Adventures
(
&
520/245-4085;
www.ebiz.
netopia.com/outdoor) is another reliable local guide; her rates start at $20 per hour.
Coronado National Memorial
About 20 miles south of Sierra Vista is a 5,000-acre
preserve dedicated to Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, the first European to explore this
region. In 1540, Coronado, leading more than 700 people, left Compostela, Mexico, in
search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cíbola, said to be rich in gold and jewels. Sometime
between 1540 and 1542, Coronado led his band of weary men and women up the valley
of the San Pedro River, which this monument overlooks. At the visitor center, you can
learn about Coronado's fruitless quest for riches and check out the wildlife observation
area. Outside the visitor center, a trail leads three-quarters of a mile to 600-foot-long
Coronado Cave. (You'll need to bring your own flashlight and get a permit at the visitor
center if you want to explore this cave.) After stopping at the visitor center, drive up to
6,575-foot Montezuma Pass, which offers far-reaching views of Sonora, Mexico, to the
south, the San Pedro River to the east, and several mountain ranges and valleys to the
west. Along the .8-mile round-trip Coronado Peak Trail, you'll also have good views of
the valley.
4101 E. Montezuma Canyon Rd., Hereford.
&
520/366-5515.
www.nps.gov/coro. Free admission. Daily
8am-4pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Take Ariz. 92 south from Sierra Vista to S. Coronado
Memorial Dr., and continue 5 miles to the visitor center.
Ramsey Canyon Preserve
Each year, beginning in late spring, a buzzing fills the
air in Ramsey Canyon, but instead of reaching for the bug repellant, visitors reach for
their binoculars. It's not the buzzing of bees or mosquitoes that fills the air, but rather the
buzzing of hummingbirds. Over the years, 14 species of hummingbirds have been sighted
here, and it is the whirring of these diminutive birds' wings that fills the air. Because
Ramsey Creek, which flows through the canyon, is a year-round stream, it attracts a wide
variety of wildlife, including bears, bobcats, and more than 170 species of birds. A short
nature trail leads through the canyon, and a second trail leads higher up the canyon. April
and May are the busiest times here, while May and August are the best times to see hum-
mingbirds. Between March and October, guided walks are offered Tuesday, Thursday,
and Saturday at 9am.
27 Ramsey Canyon Rd., off Ariz. 92, 5 miles south of Sierra Vista.
&
520/378-2785.
www.nature.org.
Admission $5 ($3 for Nature Conservancy members); free on 1st Sat of each month. Feb-Oct daily 8am-
5pm; Nov-Jan Thurs-Mon 9am-4pm. Closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
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