¡Bienvenidos a Nogales y el condado de Santa Cruz!

Ghost towns with names like Harshaw, Mowry and Washington Camp near Patagonia and Oro Blanco and Ruby along route 289 (Ruby Road) bear mute witness to the boom and bust of the railroads and mining industry. 

Some, like Ruby, are so perfect that it seems the residents mysteriously disappeared while having breakfast. Ruby is the best of the hundreds of Arizona ghost towns or at least the best-preserved of the many in Southern Arizona. Ruby Arizona is about 12 miles south of Arivaca.

Washington Camp is one of the ghost towns being restored and some have fallen into disrepair with only remnants to remind us 

of their once bustling past. 

If never-ending adventure is more your speed, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to chase the thrill and excitement of enjoying water activities lakeside at Patagonia Lake State Park or Peña Blanca Lake, hiking historic nature trails including Anza Trail or horseback riding along the rugged mountainside in the Santa Rita Mountains.

Begin your outdoor adventure at Las Lagunas marshland, then head east to the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area where there are year-round springs and creeks that feature distinctive areas to catch a glimpse of the rare, migrating birds and hummingbirds. 

Come see the abundance of wildlife activity within the wetlands hidden right in the Southern Arizona desert.

Elgin and Sonoita is home to Southern Arizona’s Wine Country where several wineries offer some of the best wines found outside of France. These vineyards represent a rapidly growing industry, which began some four decades in the Sonoita Valley. 

Each vineyard produces unique vintages, which reflect the personalities and attitudes of their owners, from colorful picnic-style wine to serious award-winning varietals.

The Sonoita area's 4,970-foot elevation, high rolling grasslands, surrounded by spectacular mountains and canyons, provide some of Arizona's most beautiful weather and landscapes. Mount Wrightson, one of the tallest peaks in Arizona, dominates the horizon.