Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area

Tour of Barrio Viejo
2026-06-18 08:00 - 10:00 (America/Phoenix) | Bar Crisol + Exo, 196 West Simpson Street, Tucson, 85701, United States
“Tour of Barrio Viejo” with Mely Bohlman and Franklin Lane sponsored by Pima County Parks & Recreation, starting at Bar Crisol, 196 W. Simpson St., Tucson*

Discover the history, architecture, and art of one of Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods. Barrio Viejo is home to one of the largest 19th century adobe communities in the Southwest. This is 0.9-mile walking tour that goes to El Tiradito shrine and eventually to Lee Ho’s former grocery store highlights the transition of the Barrio from Territorial status to the arrival of the railroad, urban renewal, and now gentrification. Mely Bohlman is an Environmental Education Program Specialist for Pima County Conservation Lands and Resources. Franklin Lane is a former high school teacher and hiking guide, member of the Pima County Master Naturalists, and a passionate amateur historian of the Southwest.

Docent Led Tour
2026-06-27 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-11 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-25 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-08 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-22 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-12 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-26 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-10-10 11:00 - 12:00 and 9 more dates | Empire Ranch, 16655 E. Empire Ranch Rd, Sonoita, 85637, United States
Docent Led Tour of the Empire Ranch House. 11 am to noon. Reservations are required by 5 pm the day before the tour. Click here to make a reservation. Free. Meet at the Visitor Contact Station.

Monthly Bird Walk
2026-07-09 08:00 - 09:30, 2026-08-13 08:00 - 09:30, 2026-09-10 08:00 - 09:30, 2026-10-08 08:00 - 09:30, 2026-11-12 08:00 - 09:30, 2026-12-10 08:00 - 09:30, 2027-01-14 08:00 - 09:30, 2027-02-11 08:00 - 09:30 and 1 more date | Mission Garden, 946 W Mission Ln, Tucson, AZ, 85745
Walk around Mission Garden to look for seasonal and resident birds. Learn to identify some common calls and songs of the birds here. The garden is a good place for beginning and intermediate birders to learn about many of the birds common to the greater Tucson area. Check in with Kevin (the roadrunner) and our resident chickens. We always check the hummingbird feeder to see what hummingbirds are visiting it!
Walks usually last about one and half hours. Walking is easy in the garden and the paths, while not paved, are made of compacted material that is ADA compatible and suitable for wheelchairs and walkers. The length of this walk is 0.50 to 0.75 mile.

OUTDOORS TOGETHER / JUNTOS AFUERA
2026-07-11 18:00 - 20:00
Welcome the monsoon season with a sunset walk in the downtown Nogales, AZ art district. Join the BRN Education team for a guided walk of the art Nogales has to offer.
Acompáñanos a darle la bienvenida a la temporada de lluvia, embarcando en una caminata de atardecer por el distrito de arte en el centro de Nogales, AZ. Únete al equipo de Educación de BRN para un paseo guiado para conocer el bello arte de Nogales.

Santa Cruz County Guided Dragonfly Tour/Recorrido Guiado de Libélulas en el condado de Santa Cruz
2026-09-20 09:30 - 12:00 | Santa Cruz River
Join local experts to learn about the dragonflies living along the Santa Cruz River near Tumacacori National Historical Park and Nogales. This tour will ideally go to two locations and require walking on sloped and uneven ground. Plan for having feet that can get wet to get the most from your experience. Transportation is not provided but carpooling will be an option from the tour meeting location.
Únete expertos locales para conocer las libélulas que habitan a lo largo del río Santa Cruz cerca del Parque Histórico Nacional Tumacacori y Nogales. Este recorrido idealmente irá a dos lugares y requerirá caminar por terrenos inclinados y desiguales. Prepárate para mojarte los pies y así aprovechar al máximo la experiencia. No se proporcionará transporte, pero existirá la opción de compartir vehículo desde el lugar de encuentro del recorrido
REGISTER HERE

Pima County Dragonfly Festival Tours
2026-09-26 09:00 - 12:00 | Pima County
Join Sonoran Institute and local experts to search for dragonflies at one of four locations. Family friendly and open to all, no prior knowledge required. See the full month’s itinerary for Santa Cruz River Dragonfly Festival here.
Únete al Sonoran Institute y a expertos locales para buscar libélulas en uno de cuatro lugares. Familiar y abierto a todos, no se requiere conocimiento previo. Consulta el itinerario completo del mes para el Festival de Libélulas del Río Santa Cruz aquí.
Los recorridos por el río del centro de Tucson estarán disponibles en español.
Tours are limited to 20 and are popular, please let us know if you need to cancel your reservation. Waitlists are available at registration.
Los tours están limitados a 20 personas y son populares, por favor avísanos si necesitas cancelar tu reservación. Hay listas de espera disponibles al registrarte.
REGISTER/REGÍSTRATE
Mission Garden Tours – Mobility-aid Accessible / Visitas a Mission Garden: accesibles para personas con movilidad reducida

Join Doug Danforth, author of Field Guide to the Damselflies and Dragonflies of Arizona and Sonora, to discover the dragonflies thriving along Mission Garden’s acequia, or replica irrigation canal. Mission Garden paths are not paved but are made of compacted material that is ADA compatible, relatively flat, and suitable for wheelchairs and walkers and thus our most accessible tour location.
In addition to a tour, explore activities for all ages! Make a dragonfly craft, check out dragonfly larvae with a microscope, and explore the rich agricultural heritage provided by the Santa Cruz River.
Acompaña a Doug Danforth, autor de la Guía de Campo de las Caballitas del Diablo y Libélulas de Arizona y Sonora, para descubrir las libélulas que prosperan a lo largo de la acequia del Mission Garden, una réplica de un canal de riego. Los senderos del Mission Garden no están pavimentados, pero están hechos de material compactado compatible con la ADA, son relativamente planos y adecuados para sillas de ruedas y andadores, por lo que este es nuestro lugar de recorrido más accesible.
¡Además del recorrido, explora actividades para todas las edades! Crea una manualidad de libélula, observa larvas de libélula con un microscopio y descubre la rica herencia agrícola que ofrece el río Santa Cruz. Tendremos actividades en Español
Downtown Tucson River Tours – Disponibles en Español

Join Rocío Guzmán of University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment to learn about the dragonflies living in the Santa Cruz Heritage Project. This walking tour will take place in the Santa Cruz River channel and will require walking a short distance from the parking area to the sandy riverbed, as well as walking on sloped and uneven ground. Plan for having feet that can get wet to get the most from your experience.
Únete a Rocío Guzmán, de la Escuela de Recursos Naturales y Medio Ambiente de la Universidad de Arizona, para aprender sobre las libélulas que habitan en el Proyecto del Patrimonio del Santa Cruz. Este recorrido a pie se llevará a cabo en el canal del río Santa Cruz y requerirá caminar una corta distancia desde el área de estacionamiento hasta el lecho arenoso del río, así como caminar por terrenos inclinados y desiguales. Prepárate para mojarte los pies y así aprovechar al máximo la experiencia.
El Rio Preserve Tour

Join Jeff Babson of Pima County Conservation Lands and Resources to discover the dragonflies living at the El Rio Preserve. This tour will take place on the banks of the wetlands in El Rio Preserve and will require walking a short distance from the parking area, as well as walking on sloped and uneven ground. Plan for having feet that can get wet to get the most from your experience.
Únete a Jeff Babson, del Departamento de Tierras y Recursos de Conservación del Condado de Pima, para descubrir las libélulas que habitan en El Rio Preserve. Este recorrido se llevará a cabo a orillas de los humedales en El Rio Preserve y requerirá caminar una corta distancia desde el área de estacionamiento, así como caminar por terreno inclinado e irregular. Planea llevar calzado que pueda mojarse para aprovechar al máximo la experiencia.
Marana River Tours

Join Michael Bogan of University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment to learn about the dragonflies living along the Santa Cruz River near the Marana Heritage River Park. This walking tour will take place in the Santa Cruz River channel and will require walking from the parking area to the river, as well as walking on sloped and uneven ground. Plan for having feet that can get wet to get the most from your experience.
Únete a Michael Bogan, de la Escuela de Recursos Naturales y Medio Ambiente de la Universidad de Arizona, para conocer las libélulas que habitan a lo largo del río Santa Cruz, cerca del Marana Heritage River Park. Este recorrido a pie se realizará dentro del cauce del río Santa Cruz y requerirá caminar desde el área de estacionamiento hasta el río, así como caminar por terreno inclinado e irregular. Sugerimos llevar calzado que pueda mojarse para aprovechar al máximo la experiencia.
REGISTER/REGÍSTRATE
