It opened in February 2000 and preserves a unique riparian area in southeastern Arizona. The area is home to giant cottonwoods, willows, sycamores and mesquites, nesting black hawks and endangered species such as the top minnow. Hiking trails and wildlife viewing areas will be developed along the creek and throughout the property which totals almost 5,000 acres. The Nature Conservancy maintains this wildlife preserve near Patagonia on Sonoita Creek. The presence of year-round water attracts an abundance of birds and more than 275 species have been identified.
Local wildlife includes the javelina, coati, deer and bobcat.
Only day use is permitted and camping, picnicking and pets are not allowed. The drive to the preserve from any direction takes you through lovely country. When you arrive, drive across Sonoita Creek only if you can see the bottom. Once a gold mining town, the pine forests surrounding Payson are its primary attraction these days with fishing, hunting and hiking and plenty of choices for campgrounds and cabins. The world over, early peoples left engravings and paintings on the stone faces of caves, cliffs and boulders.