San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area

The SPRNCA is more than just an old ranch house near the river off SR 90 where birders mingle although it is the most used site in the area. The area includes 40 miles of a well-marked wide dirt trail along the San Pedro River that once was the home to the local Apache tribes.I live eight miles due west from the Hereford Bridge trail head and bring my dogs here to let them enjoy the river where few people go. This is eight miles from Mexico. Right now we have plenty of migrating hawks and eagles, and soon we will have our hummingbirds from the south come back up here.You can walk all the way down to the international border along the trail, although I'd advise you to not do it alone as border crossers do come through. There are no water stations or rest areas along the way; it's all primitive so bring your own water and make sure you have a fully-charged cellphone. The trail is mostly flat and exposed.The views in all directions are of mountain vistas. Creosote, mesquite, desert grasses and catclaw are common flora right off the trail, but you may come across adobe ruins, old pumps, even an old carcass or two. Other great stops are Murray Springs Clovis site and the nearby Clayton house (now just ruins)Beside the San Pedro House, there is also the old mining town of Fairbank further north. Volunteers man the old school house (now a visitor's center) on most weekends. There's also an historic cemetery. Near Millville there are even petroglyphs.North of Fairbank is the old mining town of Contention, but there isn't much left of the town. The trail going north of here is little used, and the river dries up in the hotter months.The Bureau of Land Management manages the trail. It's understaffed and the trail therefore can get overgrown at times. However, I enjoy this area for my solitude. I can take my dogs here and bother no one, and using it doesn't cost a dime.

Beautiful stop in between Sierra Vista and Bisbee! Easy to stop for a few minutes to take in the Cottonwood trees and/or spend hours along the trails. We visited at a time when the San Pedro House itself was closed to visitors due to the pandemic plus part of the River Trail was closed off due to forest fire risks. However, a large section of the trail was still open and we were able to walk along the river and get lost under the canopy of green lush foliage and trees. It's worth the walk from the San Pedro House to the River to hang out under the trees, you don't have to go far to find a cool spot to sit and admire the scenery. You'll walk on a wide flat trail along a field, at the time we went the field was filled with small yellow daisies before getting to the canopy of trees. Check the website before visiting so you can know what you're in for in terms of hiking or going inside the San Pedro House. Hope to come back in cooler temperatures to spend more time on the trails. Oooh take your binoculars too, spot is also known for great bird watching.

Such a wonderful place to walk and enjoy. Love the gift house. Great selection of hats and tee shirts. The customer service is awesome. They are so happy to give you ideas of places to visit as well as telling the history of the area.

If you like Nature you will love this area. We arrived late in the afternoon on the weekend so there was not much going on and we did not have time to take some of the trails they have down to the river. We did go into the San Pedro House, an amazing gift shop. They have 100's of books for sale on many subjects about nature, animals, birds and local history. There have t-shirts, Hummingbird feeders and gifts of all kinds to choose from. The lady working at the register is very friendly and very helpful so be sure to ask her when you have a question about the shop. We bought some shirts and feeders, picked up some brochures and vowed we would return during the week when there is more activity. We also walked around outside and there were birds everywhere eating at the feeders. This is a must visit location for nature.

Hummingbird banding events in April & May! This was so much fun & even if your not a bird fan the people working here are so knowledgeable & nice enough to share their info with you.They actually let you touch the hummingbirds! We got to see a screech owl too & lots of deer.Another great hiking spot found! Its close to town and yet you still get the feeling that you are secluded in the wild. Peaceful and relaxing. The walk was an easy pretty flat walk & well marked trails. Great for families and all! Lots of birds to see too!

I rented this house with some friends, and my boyfriend who is now my husband, back in the early 1970's. It was part of a huge cattle ranch, it didn't have electric, but it did have running water. It was a wonderful experience. Met many wonderful people (and some not so wonderful). Saw many incredible sunsets, beautiful birds, went on horse rides, grew a garden, etc., etc. I am so happy to see this Has been turned into a park and bird sanctuary, and that many are enjoying it. I live in Florida now and it's unlikely I'll ever get back, and I'm crying now, but really really happy to see what this house and land have become.

How can nature not be awesome?This was a really great time, I donated to the house, since there are really no charges for just visiting and walking through. The trees, whether at night or day time, are beautiful, and they are huge! It was a good time for the family, had a lot of things to learn about, wouldn't mind camping there either!

Visited the San Pedro House before dusk and saw tons of birds. Around the house the birds are fed and very easy to see. The trail up to the river is flat and easy. The trail guide signs line up nicely with the brochure make the easy hike more interesting. Look for Andrea taking photos and the GIFT SHOP is amazing! Must visit!

One of my favorite places in the area. Nice little visitor center, friendly and informative staff, and an amazingly large old cottonwood. Perfect for little day walk, or casual birding.

St. Pedro House is a Nature Conservation area about 10 miles away from Hwy 90 and Hwy 92 intersection to the south of Sierra Vista. It's also called San Pedro House or River because the San Pedro river from Mexico runs across the area. Riparrian trees, the icon of San Pedro River, are lined up on the River bank. The river, actually it's a creek because water has dried up for many years, detours at two spots creating Big Lake and Small Lake. Big lake is about mid- size and the small one is about one third of Big lake. Fishing at big lake is fine but I do not recommend fishing at small lake because I spotted several snakes while fishing that includes a flying red snake which run, almost flying, on the surface of the water.Also you will see also human here, joggers and walkers in the morning.