You find the area
located 9 miles east of Sierra Vista on State Highway 90.
The San Pedro
riparian area, containing about 40 miles of the upper San Pedro
River, was designated by Congress as a National Conservation Area (NCA)
on November 18, 1988. The primary purpose for the designation is to
protect and enhance the desert riparian ecosystem, a rare remnant of
what was once an extensive network of similar riparian systems
throughout the Southwest. Many recreational opportunities are
available within the San Pedro Riparian.
Three of the most
popular sites are : Murray Springs Clovis Site, a significant
archaeological site that contains an undisturbed stratigraphic
record of the past 40,000 years. Excavations were conducted by the
University of Arizona from 1966 to 1971. People first arrived in
this area 11,000 years ago. They belonged to what we now call the
Clovis Culture and were the earliest known people to have inhabited
North America. Named after the distinctive and beautifully crafted
Clovis spear points they made, they were expert hunters of the large
mammals of the last Ice Age.
An interpretive
trail leads visitors through the site. From Sierra Vista, take State
Highway 90 east 6 miles to Monson Road. Turn left, and go about 1.2
miles to the signed turnoff to Murray Springs. The access road is
located on the right.
The Spanish
Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate is the most intact remaining
example of a once-extensive network of similar presidios. These
fortresses marked the northern extension of New Spain into the New
World. Only a stone foundation and a few remaining adobe wall
remnants mark the location of an isolated and dangerous military
station. From Fairbank on Highway 82, drive approximately 2 miles
west on Highway 82, turn right on the Kellar Ranch Road and travel
approximately 3 miles to the trailhead. Hike about 2 miles to the
ruins and interpretive displays.
The San Pedro
House, located 9 miles east of Sierra Vista on State Highway 90, is
a popular trailhead for birdwatchers, hikers, and mountain bikers.
The Friends of San Pedro operate a bookstore and information center.
Recreational
Activities:
