Key places in Arizona? (1 Viewer)

[jurek]

A friend organizes a self-drive trip to Arizona and wants to clear southern specialities and also must-see a prime iconic Saguaro cactus desert like in the Wild West movies.

Given that Arizona is popular, is there something like a standard birders circuit which everybody takes, which he can adopt for 7-10 days? Any specific websites?

 

[PhilR.]

Your friend should greatly consider the south-eastern portion of Arizona. The small mountain ranges, also known as "sky islands" are very famous for birding, especially Ramsey and Madera Canyons. Even the largest city in the area called Tucson has many famous birding areas. Check out the Tucson Audubon for more information.

I don't know of any "standard birders circuit", but one could easily plan a circuit or loop from Tucson. Go east to the Chiricahua Mountains, then south-east to Sierra Vista and Ramsey Canyon, then further east to Patagonia and Patagonia Lake State Park, then north-east to Madera Canyon, and then a short drive north back to Tucson and its many birding areas. Along this route are birding areas that are known by birders throughout the world.

The bonus for your friend would be Saguaro National Park, where one can see a Saguaro-covered desert. This park has two parts, located on the eastern and western edges of the Tucson metro area. Your friend could even visit the Old Tucson Movie Location, where many western movies were filmed. Old Tucson is located just a few miles from the western unit of Saguaro National Park.

 

[jurek]

Thanks, but the trip was moved to Mexico because of the current events.