SKP Saguaro — Nearby Attractions

While you are staying at SKP Saguaro, here are some places you might like to visit

Biosphere 2

Biosphere 2 is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. No reservations required. Call for rates, hours, directions or information about group tours. For your walking tour of Biosphere 2, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes and a hat. Wheelchairs and strollers are available. Sorry, no pets allowed.

We are located 20 minutes north of Tucson, Oracle Road / Highway 77 at mile marker 96.5.

Biosphere 2
32540 S. Biosphere Road
Tucson, AZ 85623
520-838-6200
www.bio2.com

Bisbee

Founded in 1880 and nestled in the mile-high Mule Mountains of Southeastern Arizona, 90 miles from Tucson, Bisbee was a booming mining community with one of the richest mineral deposits in the world. Bisbee, once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco, bustled with miners, shopkeepers, rollicking nightlife, and even its own stock exchange. Today the city still reflects old world charm and culture, as well as good times from that bygone era.

The Bisbee Visitor Center
#2 Copper Queen Plaza
PO Box 1642, Bisbee, AZ 85603
520-432-3554 866-2BISBEE
www.discoverbisbee.com

Cochise County

Cochise County, in the southeastern corner of Arizona, is a region of great scenic beauty and carefully preserved cultural heritage. Connect with nature and explore the gorgeous scenery, breathe the fresh mountain air, and view the abundance of birds and other wildlife. Step back into time and encounter some of the nation's most colorful history ever written. Reflect on historic times by visiting the wide variety of museums or experience the new age depicted in the influence of modern art galleries.

Amerind Foundation – 520-586-3666
Arizona Cactus and Succulent Research Center – 520-432-7040
Bisbee Mining and Historic Museum – 520-432-7071
Chiricahua National Monument – 520-824-3560 x104
Cochise Stronghold – 520-364-3468
Copper Queen Hotel – 520-432-2216
Coronodo National Forest – 520-387-0311
Coronado National Memorial – 520-366-5515
Fort Bowie National Historic Site – 520-847-2500
Fort Huachuca – 520-533-9898
Gadsden Hotel – 520-362-4481
Gammon's Gulch Ghost Town and Movie Set – 520-212-2831 (Call First)
John Slaughter Ranch Museum – 520-558-2474
Kartchner Caverns State Park – 520-586-CAVE
Muleshoe Ranch Preserve – 520-212-4295
Murray Springs – 520-458-3559 BLM
Parker Lake – 520-378-0311
Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate – 520-439-6400 BLM
Queen Mine Tour – 520-432-2071
Ramsey Canyon Preserve – 520-378-2785
Rex Allen Museum and Cowboy Hall of Fame – 520-384-4583
San Bernardino National WIlflife Refuge – 520-364-2104 USFW
San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area – 520-458-3559 BLM
Tombstone – 520-457-3929
Tombstone Courthouse State Park – 520-457-3311
U-Pick Farming Area – 520-384-2272
Willcox Playa – 520-384-2272
Whitewater Draw – 520-628-5376 AZGF

Cochise County Tourism Council
1415 Melody Lane, Building G
Bisbee, AZ 85603
520-432-9215
www.explorecochise.com

Colossal Cave Mountain Park

The first person lived in Colossal Cave Mountain Park over a thousand years ago. Around 900 A.D. the Hohokam Indians formed a thriving community, farming in the valley below Colossal Cave - on what today is La Posta Quemada Ranch - and using the Cave itself for shelter, storage, and as a shrine. Later the Sobaipuri, among other Inidan peoples, found a home here.

Throughout the next millennium Colossal Cave and La Posta Quemada Ranch shared histories. In the 1880's, when the Ranch was a stagecoach station, the owner "discovered" the Cave; soon after, train robbers used both Cave and Ranch as hideouts. Explorers made things lively around the turn of the last century. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps were housed on La Posta Quemada Ranch while they constructed the handsome dressed-limestone Colossal Cave headquarters buildings, and the walkways and handrails inside the Cave.

Colossal Cave Mountain Park
16721 E. Old Spanish Trail
Vail, AZ 95641
520-647-7275
www.colossalcave.com

Desert Diamond Casino

From headliner concerts, performances and live boxing at our Diamond Center, to weekly karaoke and live entertainment in our Sports Lounge, you'll enjoy much more than just gaming excitement at Desert Diamond Casino.

Desert Diamond Casino is operated by the Tohono O'odham Nation and proceeds benefit the lives of all the people of Southern Arizona. Gaming creates an abundance of jobs, training and career opportunities with more than 1500 people employed at our two casinos. It generates much-needed funds for essential services in the Nation, millions of dollars of donations to worthy charities and tax dollars to the state.

Desert Diamond Casinos
520-393-2700
www.desertdiamondcasino.com

Kartchner Caverns

In November 1974 two young cavers, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, were exploring the limestone hills at the base of the Whetstone Mountains. In the bottom of a sinkhole they found a narrow crack leading into the hillside. Warm, moist air flowed out, signaling the existence of a cave. After several hours of crawling, they entered a pristine cavern.

The cave's existence became public knowledge in 1988, when its purchase was approved as an Arizona State Park. Extraordinary precautions have been taken during its development to conserve the cave's near-pristine condition.

Kartchner Caverns State Park
PO Box 1849, Benson, AZ 85602
520-586-CAVE (2283) — tour reservations
520-586-4100 — information
http://azstateparks.com/Parks/parkhtml/kartchner.html

Kitt Peak

Located in the Quinlan Mountains of the Sonoran Desert, only a 90 minute scenic drive from Tucson. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy your day on top of 6,875-foot Kitt Peak. Whether you're a beginner or advanced astronomer, Kitt Peak has a program for you.

Kitt Peak National Observatory Visitor Center
520-318-8200 — Recorded Information
520-318-8726 — Information and Reservations
www.noao.edu

Mine Tours

Modern, open-pit copper mine tours. Discover our award-winning exhibit center, video theater, cactus garden, and picnic area. Experience a tour of the Asarco Mission Mine. Stand at the edge of the open-pit mine, then walk into the mill. Shop the Company Store gift shop for Southwestern arts and crafts by local artisans, silver, copper, and Native American jewelry.

Asarco Mineral Discovery Center
1421 W. Pima Road
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
520-625-7513
www.mineraldiscovery.com

Pima Air and Space Museum

The Pima Air and Space Museum is a world-class aerospace attraction located in Tucson, Arizona. With over two hundred of the most important aircraft in the history of flight, including President Kennedy's Air Force One and the SR-71 Blackbird Spyplane, the Pima Air and Space Museum is a top tier Southern Arizona destination that welcomes nearly 200,000 guests each year.

The Pima Air and Space Museum
On Valencia between I-10 and Kolb
Tucson, AZ
520-574-0462
www.pimaair.org

Sabino Canyon

Twelve thousand years ago, Columbian mammouth roamed here. About 1200 A.D., irrigation dams were placed in the creek by the Hohokam Indians. In the 1870's, pony soldiers from Fort Lowell enjoyed horseback excursions to the "ol' swimmin' hole" still in use today. In the 1930's, 180 C.C.C. workers built bridges and 3.8 miles of road up into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Many varieties of birds, deer, and other animals make their home here in the Coronado National Forest. Hiking trails and picnic areas abound in the canyon.

Sabino Canyon Tours, Inc.
5900 N. Sabino Canyon Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85750
520-749-2861

Sonora Desert Museum

Although we call it a museum, you will find it is really part zoo, part museum, and part botanical garden. No matter what your age or where you live, there's no better place on the planet to learn about the desert ecosystem and delight your senses at the same time.

A short distance from the entrance, you'll find yourself on winding pathways, surrounded by a lush desert habitat populated by mountain lions, lizards, hawks, and hummingbirds. Millions of visitors from around the world have marveled at our exhibits that accurately depict the fauna, flora, and wealth of minerals found in the natural setting of the vast and beautiful Sonoran Desert.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
2021 N. Kinney Road
Tucson, AZ 85743
520-883-2702
www.desertmuseum.org

Tombstone

Founded as a silver mining boom town in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin, Tombstone is a Registered National Historic Lankmark and home to historic attractions like the Crystal Palace Saloon, the World's Largest Rose Tree, the Bird Cage Theatre, Boothill Graveyard, 1882 Cochise County Courthouse, Big Nose Kate's Saloon and the O.K. Corral.

Tombstone Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 995, Tombstone, AZ 85638
888-457-3929 520-457-9317
www.tombstone.org

Turquoise Hills

Turquoise Hills Family Golf Center, situated near the San Pedro river in Benson at 3600 ft. elevation, provides a refreshing break from the scorching summer temperatures of Tucson and Phoenix. Elevated tees and greens afford glimpses of the luxurious, green setting. Accented by lush landscapes, a five-tiered waterfall surrounded by ponds of water, set the stage for an exquisite triple green. Experience the charm of Arizona's "hidden gem."

Turquoise Hills Family Golf Center
800 E. Country Club Drive
Benson, AZ 85602
520-586-7535
www.turquoisehills.com