Southern Arizona has some of the most beautiful views and amazing opportunities. From the stunning mountains and hiking trails to the wildlife viewing and off-road areas, to the award winning food and the diverse culture there is something for everyone in this incredible region.
If you are looking for privacy, wildlife, wide open spaces, and some of the friendliest people on Earth, then Southern Arizona may be the perfect place for you.
Near the Pima and Cochise county line is where the desert scrub and tall saguaro of Tucson gives way to the tall grasses and breezy kisses from the soft wind. Rincon Mountains to the North of I10 and the Santa Ritas to the South and good ole Cochise Stronghold to the Southeast. Homes seemingly sprawl out in every direction with at times hundreds of acres between. A blend of old ranch homes. mobile home settlements and even a new housing developments nestled in the rolling hills and flatlands.
On the eastern edge of Vail, you can take one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever had the pleasure of, down in Cienega Creek. The Arizona Trail intersects here but if you go into the creek you will need a permit, which is free, but the amount of people allowed is limited in this precious area. According to the Pima County Web page "The preserve is managed with the objective of accommodating public use to the degree that such use will not result in degradation to the natural qualities of this special resource".
You can find your permit here https://www.pima.gov/1406/Cienega-Creek
While you're heading there, keep a look out for the castle in the sky!
To get there Simply take the I10 exit to the AZ 83 North then take a sharp right to East Marsh Station Road. In about 3 miles you will see the Dave Zimmerman Trailhead parking on your right. Park there and then take the trail that keeps going Northeast. If you continue on Marsh Station Road you will see the sign I photographed above on your left. You can park here if you want to take a stroll on the Arizona Trail or just take in the view of the canyon. The Arizona Trail will be across the street just after the canyon where you will see a crosswalk. Use extreme caution when crossing here as traffic has a limited view and is often going too fast to slow down quickly enough in my opinion.
In Mescal Lakes, Benson, just east of Cienega Creek, you will find a movie set where, according to Wikipedia, "parts of the movie Tom Horn, starring Steve McQueen, was filmed in Mescal. Other productions filmed in Mescal include Tombstone (1993), The Quick and the Dead (1995) starring Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Bill O’Reilly's Legends and Lies: The Real West - Doc Holliday (2015)."
They have tours there now and again, so dust off your boots and clean your camera lens. You can find that information here https://www.mescalmovieset.com/
If you mosey on down past the movie set, you will find camping, hiking, and wildlife galore, as well as some off-roading and picturesque scenery. No permits necessary here just good ole first come first serve free camping! The place usually isn't real crowded either which is just one of the reasons you can often find me out there somewhere though, I usually do my relaxing in the middle of the week. Ahh the life of a Realtor open houses and The Great Home Hunt all weekend and quiet time somewhere in the middle of the week. I love my job.
The J6 Ranchette area lies on the other side of I-10. Here you will find homes in every price range and style. There is a lot of State land bordering with the Coronado National Forest, so peace and quiet and privacy are not hard to find. You will also find the beautiful Red Hawk custom-built home site, where according to their website, "Cienega Watershed provides endless water so you will always have plenty of water." You can check them out here: https://redhawkj6.com/, but remember if you are looking to buy a custom or newly built home, please make sure you do visit them without your Realtor (ME!) in tow. Check out my blog post about purchasing new construction to learn more about this.
There are so many other towns and areas, neighborhoods and attractions that I could go on forever. All of them unique to themselves and just as beautiful. This is just a sampling of an area of less than idk maybe 20 or so miles of where I personally live.
If you feel the road trip vibe coming on hit me up I'd love to show you around.