Madera Canyon

 canyon / gorge, birdwatching area, interesting place

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Nestled in the Santa Rita Mountains near Green Valley, Arizona, the main canyon is about a third high-desert, and the rest is Sierra Madrean Pine/Oak Woodland. The canyon is quite popular for regular hiking, but most of all it is a famous birding hotspot. This is the third-most-popular birdwatching destination in all of the U.S. See species such as Whiskered Screech-, Elf, Flammulated, Spotted (rare), and Great Horned Owls, many warblers and flycatchers (like the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher), Zone-tailed Hawk, the elusive Elegant Trogon, and countless other species that can only be found here and nearby Mexico. Most of the target birds in southeast Arizona can be found within 15 linear miles of the canyon. This is also a nice spot for mammals like Hog-nosed Skunk, White-nosed Coati, and Puma (Mountain Lion). The view is also spectacular, especially from Mount Wrightson. There are many trails here too, but please stay on-trail and do not go off disturbing creatures and the fragile, rare habitat they live in. Summer is the most popular time to watch birds and hiking.

There is a lone wild jaguar living in these mountains. Beware.