Rare animal & plant habitat made up of wetlands, grasslands & mountain canyons with walking trails.
Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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What clients say about Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge Admin Building And Visitor Contact Station in Sasabe (AZ)
Great place with a great volunteer at the Ranger station. The main loop is an easy drive. Side roads less so, including a flooded out part we made it through but was enough water to splash the windshield and it rained several days ago. I think they are limited in how well they can maintain the area. And maybe be extra careful during monsoon season. Regardless, beautiful. Ranger station only open 2 or 3 days a week.
We spent a day exploring the Buenos Aires National Wildlife area, and I would not hesitate to return for a longer period of time. The views were spectacular, and the changing light as the day progessed was simply delightful. I highly encourage you to visit.
Although we were limited to less than an hour, the drive through the south end of Buenos Aires NWR is beautiful! I will add to this post after my next visit. Hope to see some pronghorns or other wildlife.
Although Google maps showed the hours indicating the visitor center was open, when we arrived there was a sign stating that the center was closed due to staffing issues. There was no sign by the road stating that the center was closed, which would have saved us another 3 miles each way. It’s a very looooong drive from Tucson for such a disappointing outcome.
Nice trail around the water that is no more, all dried up. Remember that this is a "wildlife" refuge, I almost stepped on a rattlesnake on the way to the facilities!
Great place if you like being surveilled by border control looking for scary brown people.
I was pulled over and asked where I was coming from while looking for a camp spot. As I was allowed to pull away they were calling in my plate. Is it a coincidence that the next morning they parked in the spot next to me for 30+ minutes?
I am a white, almost Boomer, wildlife photographer, born in the USA, solo female without even a parking ticket. I'm out here just looking for a level, quiet spot not littered with dirty toilet toilet paper and remnants of afraid of brown people vigilante target practice.
Sad what this country has turned into because people can't discern propaganda from reality. The scariest thing about being near the border is being surveilled by big brother.
Beautiful refuge! I saw many birds including red-winged blackbirds, orioles, and coots at Triangle Pond. There were still lots of wildflowers in bloom as I traveled the Pronghorn Drive loop. I stopped at the Visitor Center and found a lovely lady inside who spent some time sharing information about the history of the area. After using the restroom, I headed to my car and had a close encounter with a rattlesnake! All in all, it was a wonderful experience. I plan to go back when it's not so windy.
I recently visited the southern border national wildlife refuge as part of a 35-mile bike loop adventure. Although the visitors center was closed during our visit, the well-maintained facilities, including accessible bathrooms, made our stop comfortable.
The refuge itself is a stunning desert landscape, boasting an abundance of wildlife. From majestic birds of prey to lively havalina and countless little critters, the diversity of species is truly captivating. Our most memorable encounter was with a massive mule deer, adding an unexpected thrill to our journey as it fearlessly chased us downhill before gracefully crossing our path and disappearing into the vast desert. This refuge is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.
If you are thinking about staying out here... do it!!! It is so gorgeous. We have been a couple times and stayed at a couple different campsites. All campsites have a big fire ring for days that a fire would be safe. Some sites are harder to get to than others. If you can get to campsite 68A to stay a few nights you definitely should. The road is a bit rough so I would recommend 4x4 and higher clearance on your camper. The coyotes come through the campsite almost nightly and sing and hollar. The experience is amazing. We do have dogs so we always kept them leashed at night for this reason and obviously didn't take them out when we knew the coyotes were there. There is no water here to fill jugs or tanks, and there are no sites with hookups. The closest grocery/gas/shop is about 12 miles away in Arivaca, and they do refill propane tanks. There is a free place to take all your trash there too before you get into town.
What a great surprise! Found this on free camping website it is boondocking at its best , it is huge with plenty of spaces for rigs of any size.
A mercantile 9 miles away with great selection. Gas and propane for my tank. Beautiful grassy planes with great mountain views.
The stars fill the expanse of the entire night sky. I will be staying the max allowed 14 days. Great 4g lte with verizon
Sittingand working in solitude
Wow! I'm new to the area and the newly replaced footbridge is fantastic at the Arivaca Cienega. The Mustang trail is a beautiful and dynamic hike and the refuge in Sasabe is a delight. The visitor center is a nice old building with wildlife taxidermy and so many birds to see. Nice gift shop as well
I hope to check out Bryce canyon soon. They have tours
This refuge has a very interesting history. In 1864, Pedro Aguirre, Jr., an influential transportation pioneer created the "Buenos Ayres" ranch. He was born in 1835 in the Mexican City of Chihuahua. He moved to Las Cruces, when it was still the New Mexico (currently AZ & NM) Territory where he ran a freight transport business along the Santa Fe Trail. They used stagecoaches to transport goods between the New Mexico Territory and Missouri. Later, in 1859, he set up a freight business in the western part of the territory. Four years later that part of the New Mexico Territory became the Arizona Territory. His business covered Tucson and all points south. So, one year after Arizona became an official territory he created the Buenos Ayres ranch, spanning almost 120,000 acres. It passed through a few hands over the years before being purchased by the US government and being turned into a wildlife refuge in 1985.
When you visit this place, you will see traces of the ranching history still standing. If you are in Southern Arizona, it is a worthwhile opportunity to see some of Arizona's history and wildlife in a preserved state.
A wonderful place for birding and close to the US Mexico border. We unfortunately did not visit during peak birding season, which appears to go from late Spring to early Fall. Be on the lookout out for Pronghorn on the auto tour route. The trail eat the visitor center has lots of birding opportunities if you are there during the right time of the year. The volunteer staff are friendly and full of knowledge. We will have to go back during peak birding season when one has the opportunity to see colorful tropical song birds.
BANWR was a beautiful trip. Miles where you don't see another person, and of you're patient, you'll catch some of the locals! Definitely worth a return.
Beautiful, but rough terrain and campsites are spaced out well enough. Keep in mind there are no facilities and there is border patrol activity so stay safe and be aware. Aravaca is close by if ice or groceries are needed.
Very nice NWR with habitat that is very different from much of the surrounding Sonoran desert. This former cattle ranch is largely grassland with areas of riparian forest and rocky canyon. Stop at the visitor center for a 20 minute film for an overview. The loop trail starting at the visitor center is only about one mile on easy terrain. We saw the Masked Bobwhite, a Gila Woodpecker, a Vermillion Flycatcher, Chihauhau Raven, and a Western Screech Owl all within a relatively short visit.
Such an amazing place and so much to explore. Cant wait to go back. So much wildlife and the views are breathtaking. I am lucky enough to catch these images when we were there during a monsoon type of day.
Beautiful area, enjoyed the the ten Mile pronghorn loop drive but unfortunately didn't see any. We did take advantage of a niice clean picnic area before we left. Visitor center was closed due ? due to government shutdown. Hope and pray the rangers lives were not severely impacted by the forced vacation.
Absolutely beautiful!! We hunted whitetail coues deer! We spotted plenty of deer and wildlife. The night sky totally stunning! Sunsets and Sunrise REMARKABLE!! Hiked about 15 miles scouting and seeing different birds, insects, and much more.
