Visit Patagonia

Tips for Outdoors Enthusiasts

Try a self-guided tour from the Bike Loop Tours of the Patagonia Mountains. Our area offers tremendous opportunities for hiking and biking, around town as well as throughout the Patagonia Mountains in the Coronado National Forest.

The Town of Patagonia is also an official Gateway Community for the Arizona National Scenic Trail, which is used by day hikers, backpackers, equestrians, mountain bikers, trail runners, and nature enthusiasts.

Bring your binoculars! The Patagonia area is also internationally known as a premier bird watching destination with 11 Audubon Important Bird Areas nearby, including the Patagonia Mountains, Patagonia Sonoita Creek Preserve, and the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area. Don’t forget Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds for easy—but amazing—bird watching!

Patagonia Lake State Park is only eight miles from town. At two and a half miles long and 250 surface acres, Patagonia Lake State Park is popular for a variety of recreational activities, including water skiing, fishing, camping, picnicking, birding, and hiking.

At an elevation of 4,000 feet, Patagonia summers are cooler than summers in Tucson and Phoenix. When the rains come in late June or early July, our world turns gloriously green. Likewise, winters are warmer than most other places in the United States, making Patagonia a great vacation location for those seeking nice weather.

Patagonia is truly a town for all seasons.

Plan Your Visit to Patagonia, Arizona

Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) is proud to support Patagonia area businesses and organizations. We’re a town without chains or franchises—everything you see is local and run by our fantastic community members. Ready to visit us? Plan your stay in Patagonia using this comprehensive list.

For information:

Friends of Sonoita Creek: A local educational nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of Sonoita Creek and its watershed. They also lead hikes throughout the area.

Visit Patagonia: Our official visitor center. Information includes accommodations, restaurants, and activities.

Visit Sky Islands: Your guide to Patagonia, Sonoita, and Elgin, small Arizona towns within 15 miles of each other.

For nature and solitude:

Audubon’s Arizona Important Bird Areas (IBA): The Patagonia Mountains are an IBA—a program to benefit Arizona’s bird populations of greatest conservation concern, and other native biodiversity, and their most critical habitats and sites! There are 12 IBA sites in southeastern Arizona, including the Patagonia Mountains.

Coronado National Forest: The Patagonia Mountains are one of the gems of the sky islands, supporting plant and animal communities as biologically diverse as those encountered on a trip from Mexico to Canada.

Patagonia Roadside Rest: One of the more unconventional birding hotspots in the Town of Patagonia, Arizona. Many very rare birds have been found here. Easy access of off Highway 82.

Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve: Home to one of Arizona’s few permanently flowing streams, endangered fish, butterflies, and birds. The preserve borders the towns of Patagonia and Sonoita.

Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds: Explore and experience the special birds of southeast Arizona. Dedicated to the celebration and conservation of hummingbirds—and all of southeast Arizona’s astounding biodiversity—through recreation, education, and sustainable living. Gates are open dawn to dusk. Entrance is free.

For recreation:

Arizona Trail: An 800+ mile recreation trail from Mexico to Utah that connects mountain ranges, canyons, deserts, forests, wilderness areas, historic sites, trail systems, points of interest, communities, and people. The trail goes right through the Town of Patagonia, Arizona. See Passage #3 – Canelo Hills West and Passage #4 – Temporal Gulch.

Patagonia Lake State Park: Popular for a variety of recreational activities, including water skiing, fishing, camping, picnicking, birding, and hiking.

Sonoita Creek State Natural Area: Located next to Patagonia Lake State Park, the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area is a riparian area with hiking and horseback riding trails, bird watching opportunities, and hike-in tent camping. See a map of the trails.

For the literary-minded:

Patagonia Public Library: Once the home of the Patagonia Hotel, c. 1914, this renovated building now is home to one of the most vibrant rural libraries you’ve ever visited! Many computer stations and WiFi available.

Patagonia Regional Times: Our monthly gazette-style newspaper featuring local news and local color.