With the weather warming up, it’s the perfect time to start planning some day trips in Southern Arizona. Getting out of town for a day can be a great reset for your mind and body, so when you do go back to work, you feel like you had some time to yourself to unwind and decompress. Whether you want to travel solo, with friends, or with your family, we’ve got you covered. Check out our list of the best day trip destinations around Southern Arizona for visitors of all ages!
Kartchner Caverns
Kartchner Caverns State Park is located nine miles south of Benson and west of the San Pedro River. In addition to the park, it holds a show cave with 2.4 miles of passages. Visitors can hike, take guided tours of the cave, and enjoy tent and RV camping. There are no self-guided tours of the cave available. Depending on the tour you choose, it may last between 1.5 to 2 hours.
Colossal Cave Mountain Park
Colossal Cave Mountain Park is a 2,400 acre park offering tours of a cave, and it’s located in Vail, Arizona. Colossal Cave Mountain Park offers unique mountain formations and a butterfly garden. The cave itself is full of crystals. The park offers a museum, Western trail rides, wooded picnic areas, and Cowboy Cookouts under the stars. There is also public tent and RV camping.
Tubac
Tubac is a small community located between the Tumacacori and Santa Rita Mountains. The population is only 1,191. Located in Tubac are the Tumacacori National Historical Park, casual and fine dining opportunities, shopping, antiquing, art galleries, and the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and Museum.
Patagonia & Sonoita
Patagonia Lake stays chilly far into the summer, so it’s a great place to cool off when the summer heat gets to you. Whether you’re traveling on your own or with friends and family, Patagonia Lake offers canoeing, paddle boating, floating, boating, camping, and picnicking. The small town of Patagonia has a little museum and a few antique shops. Near Patagonia is Sonoita, which is Arizona’s wine country. You can follow the Sonoita Wine Trail and take tours of vineyards, enjoy wine tastings, and relax.
Tumacacori
Tumacacori is located in the upper Santa Cruz River Valley in Southern Arizona. It is home to Tumacacori National Historical Park, a 360 acre park that protects the ruins of three missions that were founded during the Spanish Colonial Era.
Bisbee
Bisbee is a thriving, former mining town that has become a center for artists and creators. The town offers antiquing, shopping, dining, and a small museum. You can also take a tour of the Copper Queen Mine or do a pub crawl. There are also numerous historic hotels, some of which claim to be haunted! Bisbee isn’t far from Tombstone, which is another fun day trip destination for road trips and family vacations.
Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon is the perfect getaway from the summer heat. It’s a little over an hour’s drive from Tucson, located 2,700 meters up into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Mt. Lemmon offers hiking trails, fishing, camping, picnicking, bird watching, and more. Even if you aren’t an active hiker or lover of the outdoors, Summerhaven offers shopping and dining, and there are plenty of scenic lookouts and picnic spots to sit and watch the local wildlife.
Find a New Home in Southern Arizona by Calling Us at Castle & Cooke Today!
If you’re ready to move to Southern Arizona and are looking for a beautiful home in a planned community, contact us at Castle & Cooke. We offer homes in Sierra Vista in our communities, Holiday and The Oaks. Our communities feature parks, picnic areas, walking paths, pools, and more for families of all ages to enjoy. To learn more about our designed communities and move-in ready homes, call us today at (520) 441-8580 or contact us online.