Holidaying in Sierra Vista, Arizona

I moved to Sierra Vista from the UK in October 2006 and I love it!

Sierra Vista is in the South East corner of Arizona, approximately  20 miles from the Mexican border and around 70 miles south east of Tucson which is the closest main city. Sierra Vista is in the high desert it has an altitude of 4,500 feet with a good all year round climate. Summers are long and hot, it is around 100 degrees at the moment. As you have probably gathered by the name, it is a very picturesque part of the world, we are surrounded by mountains. This area is popular with bird watchers, cyclists and hikers and the retirement community in their RV's  In addition, I have seen some of the most awesome sunsets I have ever seen here in Sierra Visa!

Here are a few things to see and do around the area:-

San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area

Consists of 40 miles of lush riparian vegetation, features an abundance of plant and animal life. The SPRNCA runs along the San Pedro River, from the Mexican border nearly to Saint David and has ten access points. In addition to wildlife the NCA contains the sites of several mining towns, such as Charleston, Millville, Fairbank and Contention City. Evidence of prehistoric cultures can be found at the Murray Springs Clovis Site and the ruins of a Spanish presidio represent the colonial period. The Nature Conservancy has listed the San Pedro as one of the 10 "Last Great Places" in the U.S.

The Coronado National Forest

Covers 1,780,000 acres of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Elevations range from 3,000 feet to 10,720 feet in twelve widely scattered mountain ranges or "sky islands" that rise dramatically from the desert floor, supporting plant communities as biologically diverse as those encountered on a trip from Mexico to Canada.

Bordering Sierra Vista on the west are the beautiful Huachuca Mountains. Rising nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, and containing the Miller Peak Wilderness Area, they are a haven for bird and wildlife. More than 170 species, including 14 species of hummingbirds, have been observed; more than 60 species of reptiles and 78 species of mammals also are found in this range.

Miller Peak Wilderness
High summits surrounded by sheer cliffs and deep canyons distinguish this rugged area of 20,190 acres in the Huachuca Mountains. Elevations range from 5,200 to 9,466 feet at the top of Miller Peak. Trails wind up the slopes from the east off Ash Canyon, Miller Canyon, Carr Canyon, and Ramsey Canyon Roads, from the south at Montezuma Pass in Coronado National Memorial, and from the west via Oversite, Ida, Bear, and Sunnyside Canyons. The 11.5-mile Crest Trail between Montezuma Pass and Fort Huachuca ties all of the trails together. Although the long climbs are challenging, the mountains offer outstanding views and chances to see birds and other wildlife.

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Living Caverns and Discovery Center. Exhibits include biology of Kartchner Caverns, bats and their environment, and how stalactites and stalagmites are formed.

Tombstone

"The Town too Tough to Die," Tombstone was perhaps the most renowned of Arizona's old mining camps. When Ed Schieffelin came to Camp Huachuca with a party of soldiers and left the fort to prospect, his comrades told him that he'd find his tombstone rather than silver. Thus, in 1877 Schieffelin named his first claim the Tombstone, and rumors of rich strikes made a boomtown of the settlement that adopted this name.

Days of lawlessness and violence, which nearly had then-President Chester A. Arthur declaring martial law in Tombstone and sending in military troops to restore order, climaxed with the infamous Earp-Clanton battle, fought near the rear entrance of the O.K. Corral, on October 26, 1881. Over the course of 7 years the mines produced millions of dollars in silver and gold before rising underground waters forced suspension of operations. Tombstone is full of staged gunfights, actors dressed up in cowboy attire and mining exhibits, it is tacky and great!

Bisbee

Once one of the West’s most prosperous copper mining towns, Bisbee is now a modern artists’ colony perched on picturesque hillsides. Attractions include the Lavender Open Pit Mine, historic Brewery Gulch and the many galleries and shops.  

Here are just a few of the highlights, there is so much more to see and do!