This 1930s ranch house has been recently restored and serves as a bookstore and visitor center, It is open Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm and on Sundays from noon to 3 pm. It is also open on a variable schedule throghout the rest of the week when volunteers provide information and assistance. The conservation area is a prime area for birders, hikers, horseback riders and photographers. Most of the trails are open to hikers and riders. Overnight camping is permitted in backcountry areas, with permits required for overnight stays.
Camping is limited to seven consecutive days in any one location, unless otherwise posted.
The area is free for day visitors. To put it simply, trails lead from the parking areas along the riverbanks. This is the most southerly section of the conservation area, touching the Mexican border. This is a historic site which is reached by a separate trail, found by driving 2 miles west of Fairbank on Highway 82 and then 2 miles north on Kellar Road. The Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate was built in 1775 to protect Spanish farmlands in the area.