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Canyon in the northwestern face of the Santa Rita Mountains, southeast of Tucson, and part of the Coronado National Forest, with campsites, picnic areas, and miles of hiking trails
General Information
Trails and picnic areas open during daylight hours
No reservations required; first-come, first-served access
Annual and Interagency passes accepted
Camping at Bog Springs Campground: $20/night (first-come, first-served)
How to Get There
From Tucson, AZ (30 mi): Take I-19 S to Exit 63 (Continental Rd), head east, then south on Whitehouse Canyon Rd and follow signs to Madera Canyon.
Overview
Madera Canyon is a lush canyon on the northwest face of the Santa Rita Mountains, 25 miles southeast of Tucson in Coronado National Forest, and one of the best birding destinations in the United States. With more than 250 bird species recorded, including 15 hummingbird species, elegant trogons and flame-colored tanagers, it draws birders from around the world, and it also has campgrounds, picnic areas and miles of hiking trails, including the climb to Mount Wrightson.
The canyon was once called White House Canyon after an adobe house built by a sheepherder in the late 1870s. Prospectors worked its mines in the early 1900s, it joined the national forest in 1905, and it became a popular summer retreat after a resort opened in 1922. A Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930s left rock walls that still stand. The canyon spans four life zones, from desert scrub up to aspen and fir, and shelters black bears, coatis, deer and 16 species of bats.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Madera Canyon (Arizona)", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Featured Trails
Mount Wrightson
9,456-foot (2,882 m) peak in the Santa Rita Mountains within the Coronado National Forest, in southern Arizona
