Green Valley Chamber of Commerce
Anza Trail. After years of negotiation, an agreement between Pima County and Haven Golf Course is an important step toward the completion of the Anza National Historic Trail. The trail, which follows the route of Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza II, provides recreation for hikers and equestrians and preservation of local historical culture. It will eventually run from the Mexican border across Arizona and to San Francisco, where the Anza party settled. For now, you can hop on the Anza Trail in Tubac or at Tumacacori National Historical Park.
Arivaca Self-Guided Tours. Discover some of the prettiest country in the U.S. and the oldest schoolhouse in Arizona. Located in high desert, the Arivaca area boasts rich grazing land and Arivaca Lake offers great fishing. Brochures are available at Arivaca town merchants. (25 miles southwest of Green Valley) 398-2702
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Living animal and plants of the Sonora Desert region. Many unique exhibits indoor and outdoor. Kinney Road north of Old Tucson Studios. Open every day of the year 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission fee. (36 miles from Green Valley)
Asarco Mineral Discovery Center. Discover our award winning exhibit center, video theater, cactus garden and picnic area. Free admission to the Exhibit Center! Experience a tour of the Asarco Mission Mine. Stand at the edge of the open pit mine, then walk into the mill. Shop at the Company Store gift shop for Southwestern arts and crafts by local artisans; silver, copper and Native American jewelry.
Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Mine tours are $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors (62+) and $4.00 for children ages 5 to 12 and free for children under 5. Discounts are available for groups and school tours with advance reservations. Hours and rates are subject to change.
Getting there: Take Interstate 19 to Pima Mine Road (exit 80). About 500 feet west of the freeway, turn left through the railroad crossing. Go south to the first right where you’ll see our copper roofed buildings and the tall wooden tower.
ASARCO Mineral Discovery Center; 1421 W. Pima Mine Road, Sahuarita, Arizona 85629; phone 520-625-7513; website [email protected] — www.mineraldiscovery.com
Bisbee. Rustic, charming, turn of the century western town. Home of Lavender Pit Mine. One of the world’s largest open pit copper mines. (135 miles from Green Valley) 24 miles south of Tombstone on Route 80.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Ruins of a massive four story structure built of coarse caliche earth (high lime desert soil) by Indians who farmed in Gila Valley more than 600 years ago. Admission fee. (100 miles from Green Valley)
Catalina State Park. Encompasses over 8,000 acres at the base of the northwestern slopes of the Catalina Mountains near Tucson. Picnicking, camping, hiking and riding trails. Numerous archeological and ecological sites. Located 12 miles north of Tucson on US 89.
Chiricahua National Monument. Alive with plants and animals, the monument contains tall, slender pinnacles and other geological oddities carved by nature from volcanic rock. (145 miles southeast from Green Valley)
Colossal Cave. Possibly the world’s largest dry limestone cavern. Open daily; tours begin every few minutes.
Getting there: I-19 north to I-10, east to Vail exit, north to cave. Admission fee. 520-647-7275.
Davis Monthan Air Force Base. Contains the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center; filled with hundreds of old planes. Call for tour times.
Getting there: Take any major east-west Tucson street to Craycroft. South on Craycroft to the base. 520-228-4570.
Flandrau Planetarium. A fun and educational science center on the University of Arizona Campus. Star Theater programs, laser light shows and science demonstrations. Free walk through exhibits, science store, meeting rooms and a 16” telescope. Call 520-621-STAR.
Ft. Huachuca Historical Monument. Located in Sierra Vista, it depicts the story of the frontier military post established in 1877 to protect settlers during the Indian wars. (95 miles southeasr of Green Valley)
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Kartchner Caverns State Park has become Southern Arizona’s premiere tourist attraction. With two spectacular tours, camping facilities and hiking, the caverns invite visitors to glimpse a desert vista seldom seen and little understood.
Getting there: From Green Valley, take I-19 north to Sahaurita Road, then east to 83. Travel north on 83 to I-10, then east until you reach I-90. Follow the signs.
Kitt Peak National Observatory. Established in 1958 as the country’s first national observatory. Site of the Mayall 158” telescope and McMath Solar telescope, the world’s largest solar observation instrument. On the Tohono O’odham (formerly Papago) Indian Reservation. Tours on weekends, holidays. Open to the public every day except December 25. No admission fee. No food available; take picnic lunch.
Getting there: I-19 north to Ajo exit, Hwy. 86 west to Hwy. 386 south. (75 miles from Green Valley) 520-318-8000
Mt. Hopkins/Smithsonian Observatory. Tours to 8,550 ft. summit Monday, Wednesday and Friday, March to November. For reservations phone 520-670-5707.
Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory
Located at the base of Mt. Hopkins in the Santa Rita Mountains, the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory Visitors Center features displays and exhibits on astronomy and astrophysics, natural science and cultural history.
Guided, reserved seat bus tours of FLWO for the general public are conducted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from mid-March through November. Tours originate at the Visitors Center which opens at 8:30 a.m. A video presentation begins at 9:00 a.m. The bus leaves the office at 9:30 a.m. and returns by 3:00 p.m. Reservations are required and may be made in advance by calling 520-670-5707 or by writing to Whipple Observatory, P.O. Box 97, Amado, Arizona 85645.
The Visitors Center is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Getting there: I-19 south to Canoa exit 56, east Frontage Road to Elephant Head Road, east to Mt. Hopkins Road to Visitor Center.
Mt. Lemmon. Highest peak in the Santa Catalinas; skiing in the winter, picnic area, viewpoints at various elevations.
Getting there: Take I-19 north, I-10 east to exit 270, Kolb Road, north to Tanque Verde and follow the signs to Mt. Lemmon. (Two plus hour drive from Green Valley)
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. 516 sq. miles of Sonoran Desert featuring the rare organ pipe cactus. Exhibits, guided walks, scenic drive. I-19 north to Ajo exit, west on Hwy. 86 to town of Why, left on Hwy. 85 to entrance. (150 miles from Green Valley)
Patagonia Lake. Fishing and boating facilities. Stop in the town of Patagonia and visit the Horse of a Different Color Emporium (located in the old Museum of the Horse).
Getting there: I-19 south to Nogales, Hwy. 82 northwest to Patagonia and follow signs. (60 miles from Green Valley)
Pena Blanca Lake. 52 acre lake near Mexican border; fishing, boat rental, picnic area and campground.
Getting there: I-19 south and west on Ruby Road 289. (48 miles from Green Valley)
Pima Air Museum. Indoor, outdoor displays of over 200 types of aircraft; extensive WWII collection. Open every day of the year 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except December 25. No admission after 4:00 p.m.
Getting there: I-19 north to 1-10, east to Wilmont Road exit, north two miles. Admission fee.
Reid Park. Includes Hi Corbett Field, home of the Tucson Toros Triple A baseball and the Colorado Rockies spring training. Reid Park Zoo, 36 hole golf course, tennis.
Getting there: I-19 north, I-10 west to 22nd Street exit, East on 22nd Street, between Alvernon and Country Club.
Sabino Canyon. Picnicking, bicycling, hiking. Cars not allowed in canyon. Shuttle service into canyon operates every day of year; leave and reboard as you wish. Visitor center and nature trail at entrance.
Getting there: See directions to Mt. Lemmon. Tanque Verde Road to Sabino Canyon Road and follow signs. Open 365 days a year. (1½ hour drive from Green Valley)
Saguaro National Monument. 63,000 acres of magnificent saguaro cacti. Rincon Mountain section. Monument headquarters, exhibits, nine mile circular drive, picnicking. On Old Spanish Train east of Tucson. Tucson Mountain section. Information center, picnicking. North on Kinney Road past Old Tucson and Desert Museum. Admission fee.
San Xavier Mission. White Dove of the Desert. Considered by many to be the finest example of Spanish Mission architecture. Open daily 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 520-294-2624.
Getting there: Take I-19 north to exit 92 San Xavier Road.
SONOITA VINEYARDS and SANTA CRUZ WINERY. Arizona wines are becoming a drink of preference. A number of excellent wineries are located near Sonoita and Patagonia. Sonoita Vinyards, call 520-455-5893. Santa Cruz Winery, call 520-394-2888.
Tombstone. The Town Too Tough to Die. Historic silver boomtown. Boothill Cemetery, OK Corral.
Getting there: I-19 north to I-10, east to Route 80 or I-19 south to Nogales, Route 82 to Route 80 south. (90 miles from Green Valley or 110 miles via Nogales)
Tubac. Oldest European settlement in Arizona. Today it is a village thriving on arts and crafts. Shops, galleries, restaurants.
Getting there: I-19 south. (23 miles from Green Valley)
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. Arizona’s first state park, oldest European community and the largest and best preserved 18th century Spanish Colonial Presidio in the world. The 1885 Territorial Schoolhouse, Otero Hall and Rojas House are on the National Register of Historic Places. The park features a museum, underground exhibit of the Presidio ruins, Arizona’s first printing press, Anza Trailhead, picnic area and gift shop.
The Tucson Museum of Art houses a fine collection of pre-Columbian art and artifacts and hosts a continuous series of traveling exhibitions. 520-323-7888.
Tumacacori Mission. Just south of Tubac on I-19. Church standing today built in the 1800s. Adjoining museum contains models of the original mission and village. (28 miles south of Green Valley)
Titan Ii Missile Museum. Only remaining Titan II complex just as it was during the Cold War. Guided tours of missile complex including silo. Admission fee. Call 625-7736 for reservations.
Feel the fury of the Titan Missile as you descend more than 30 feet underground and encounter one of our nation’s most revered peacekeepers. For more than 20 years site 571-7 was on 24 hour alert, ready for an order that thankfully was never given.
The Titan Missile Museum is an educational opportunity for the family that shouldn’t be overlooked when visiting Green Valley. Open year round.
Getting there: From Green Valley, take Duvall Mine Road west from I-19. Follow the signs.