Empire Ranch

Empire Ranch (located within Las Cienegas Conservation Area) is a direct look into early life of a rancher in Arizona. The buildings with the displays from the early era are informative and interesting. You can almost feel what it was like to live on the Ranch. The area is beautiful with trails and wildlife to view especially birders.

A treasure hiding in plain sight.This incredible gem rescued from development is less than 20 minutes from I-10 up scenic hwy 83, just a couple miles before Sonoita, AZ. Well marked and a nice paved road in from the highway. This was a massive 100,000 acre working cattle ranch started by the Vail brothers in the mid 1800s. The community of Vail, AZ along I-10 got its name because it was the rail siding for the ranch, becoming a hub of commerce and post office. In later years the ranch was extensively used for TV and movie productions with many major Hollywood classics, including John Wayne westerns, filmed on location at the ranch.The ranch supports many activities year round with hunting, equestrian, biking and hiking pursuits using the expansive property. The original ranch house has been preserved and renovated and hosts multiple events throughout the year to recreate the environment of the old west as a living history museum. There's a major cowboy festival held at the ranch the first weekend of November that is a fun event.They also host movie showings in spring and fall under the stars, showing films made on location at the ranch. A great way to enjoy that event is to visit the ranch house during the day, head into Sonoita for a dinner and a brew and then pop back in for the movie, to the serenade of cicadas, coyotes and owls in the distance and the brilliant stars overhead. Bring a folding chair and blanket - it cools off when the sun goes down.

Empire Ranch: stopped by on a quirk; wow! Understated and open to public free of charge. Makes one appreciate the history ofOur land. Enjoy!

Really nice preserved cattle ranch. Wish they could of had a few horses in the corral. Making it more alive.

The views on the Empire Ranch / Las Cienegas National Conservation land are lovely. Rolling, grassy hills--often containing pronghorn and/or cattle--lead the eye to Whetstone and Mustang Mountains. You'll come back again and again. On one of your trips, take time to stop at the Empire Ranch headquarters. The Empire Ranch Foundation has restored some of the buildings and is in the process of restoring more. The Heritage Discovery Trail starts near the restrooms and heads toward Empire Gulch. You'll notice tall cottonwoods (live and fallen), numerous wildflowers (season dependent), and a significant variety of birds. When the trail circles back to the main ranch house, you can take yourself on a self-guided tour. The Foundation has restored the building and contents, as well as provided signage about the people who lived and worked on the ranch. Docent-led tours will be offered twice a month starting in August. The Empire Ranch / Las Cienegas National Conservation area offers scenic drives, wildlife/bird watching, hiking, horseback riding, and more. This gem is only about an hour from Tucson and about 30 minutes from Elgin or Patagonia. Check out the sites below for events and details. www.blm.gov/national-conservation-lands/arizona/las-cienegaswww.empireranchfoundation.org/

About a mile south of border check on Highway 83 on the left hand side of the road, you will find Empire Ranch run by the BLM and the empire Ranch Foundation.http://www.empireranchfoundation.org/The Ranch has spectacular views and wide open spaces to explore and learn about nature, it is also called Las Cienegas Preserve. This is where the creek bubbles up in a few places with wildlife. You might want to hurry up, if they build the Rosemont Mine down that way the creek will more than likely dry up as well as Sonoita. There are cool events for both history and ecological education for your whole family and friends.

A beautiful Saturday for a drive. We left Green Valley at 10 am and arrived at the ranch about an hour later. We saw several cactus in bloom along the way as well as white desert poppies. The long and winding road to the ranch gave us the opportunity to see some cowgirls saddle up and prepare for a ride. We also watched a helicopter refuel with fire retardant. The ranch itself has a lot of history with markers well placed giving details of the property. We were able to do a self guided tour of the house and surrounding buildings. When everything returns to normal we will want to take in the abundant wineries and restaurants located in Sonoita, a short drive from the ranch.

I am a native here and I didn't know about the Empire and Las Cienegas ranch until my adult hood. This area is so beautiful and you have to visit to really appreciate the beauty. I am so thankful and pray land and ranches like these will continue to be saved for the future. To value our future, we must preserve our history.

Empire Ranch is a working cattle ranch near Sonoita on BLM land that is open for all to visit. The ranch house is on the National Register of Historic Places and is beyond belief to visit. It was built around 1870 or so and has been lived in until (I think) the 80s. The ranch has undergone changes and expansions, and is totally and completely open for you to walk around and visit! I could wax on about the history but check it out on the internet under "Empire Ranch Arizona." Or better yet, come visit! Walk through history. You'll enter rooms built in the 1800s with original ceilings, vintage restrooms, and a kitchen that was re-designed and is a time capsule of the 1950s. So many eras, so much beauty. Learn about the history in a room with actual pieces of heirlooms and jewelry and the Empire Ranch story, including a John Wayne movie that was filmed here!I've been twice now in two weeks and love it. It's just beautiful and breath taking. There is a barn next door that dates back to the 1800s, still standing. Every year they have a giant festival here to celebrate Empire Ranch. It sounds cool! This place is BLM and needs support. Take the nature trail (0.5 miles) and see the frog conservancy and some of the cowboy guest ranch quarters.It's worth your time to visit. Contact me if you want to know more. And while here, there are campgrounds around and a scenic 4x4 trail (fairly easy for most vehicles, but there are a couple of tricky hills if you drive something that is not a 4x4 vehicle).

Today was my first visit to Empire Ranch. It's great to see this kind of history preserved in Arizona in such a unique, open, and casual way. I'm a big fan of the southwest and it's great to see this protected by the BLM and Empire Ranch Foundation. I'd highly recommend it as a tour of the "real" southwest as it's conveniently located along the route to Bisbee, Cochise, and the beatiful scenery out there is very unlike what you typically expect from Arizona. It's also nearby a few great wineries which are typically open on the weekends for tastings. Recommended!