Staying at a Green Valley vacation rental will bring you within close proximity to the Coronado National Forest. This 1,780,000 acre national forest covers the southeastern part of Arizona and the southwestern part of New Mexico. The Coronado National Forest features 12 widely scattered mountain ranges called the Sky Islands. The Coronado National Forest is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna as well as wildlife that make this forest their home.
Wildlife and Wilderness
There are a total of nine wilderness areas in this national forest. Most of the wilderness areas are some of the most biologically diverse in the country. They're scattered around the forest and at least one is located in each Ranger District. There is a wide range of plants and animals in this forest. There are some 576 species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals that call Coronado National Forest their home.
Things to Do
Mountain biking is a good way to explore the natural wonders of the forest. The roads and trails outside of the wilderness area and areas that are not designated as "Closed" are all open for bikers. However, there are still designated trails for mountain bikes. Elephant Head Mountain Bike Route is a popular marked bike trail that features both remote trails and traveled roads.
Visitors can also do some cave exploration. There are two major caves in this national forest - the Cave of the Bells and the Onyx Cave. The Cave of the Bells features suites of minerals and formations. The cave, however, is gated and locked so reservation is needed. The Onyx Cave, on the other hand, is a series of passageways and rooms. One of the main features in this cave is the limestone formations that are scattered throughout.
Hiking is another popular activity in the Coronado National Forest. There are several hiking trails in this forest with varying elevations. The lowland trails are open during winter, while the high elevation trails of Ponderosa pine forest are available during summer. There are more than 50 hiking trails in and around the entire Coronado National Forest.
Other activities that are popular include rock climbing, off-highway vehicle drives, picnicking and fishing.
Permits and Passes
The Coronado National Forest is open to the public and provides free use of some of the facilities. However, there are some recreational areas that do require a Forest Pass. Some recreation areas also require a fee including the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, Madera Canyon, and South Fork-Cave Creek.
There are generally two types of fees in Coronado National Forest, standard and expanded. Standard fees are often for day use only. These passes may include the use of picnic areas, high impact recreation areas and developed trailheads. Expanded fees are for extra amenities like boat launches that are highly developed, swimming areas and lookout rentals.
Stay at a Green Valley vacation home to be near the Coronado National Forest. Check out the listings on VacationHomes.com, where you can sort your search based on location, size, price and more.