JUAN BAUTISTA DE ANZA NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL – ARIZONA
The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is a 1,200 mile auto and recreation trail that commemorates the route followed by the 1775–1776 expedition led by Juan Bautista de Anza who led 240 men, women, and children on an epic journey from Sonora, Mexico to establish the first non-Native settlement – the Presidio of San Francisco, a military post. Today, the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail connects history, culture, and outdoor recreation from Nogales, Arizona across southern Arizona and California, to the San Francisco Bay Area. The Arizona portion of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail takes you on an auto tour that leads you through the dramatic and diverse terrain of the Sonoran desert, with historic and scenic stops along the way. It’s about a 400 mile one-way trip from Tumacácori in Santa Cruz County, west from Tucson to the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. The whole experience can take about 7-10 days if you plan to spend quality time at the exhibits and sites, take part in area activities that include hiking the recreational trail, and explore the towns and cities
If you are arriving into the area by air and then renting a car, you may want to consider landing at the Tucson International Airport and flying out of Yuma International Airport or the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Offering bright blues skies and cooler temperatures, fall is a beautiful time of year to visit. Winter is crisp and sunny with an occasional dusting of snow and views of the snowcapped mountains, and spring is spectacular with wildflowers and blooming cactus. Summer heats up with thrilling electric monsoon storms that provide the riparian areas with water and create lush desert landscapes.
For maps, trail and park information visit www.nps.gov/juba and www.AnzaHistoricTrail.org.
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