Southern Arizona Landscapes and Heritage Vacation Package

Discover the stark but beautiful landscapes, dramatic human history, and rich earth history of southern Arizona while indulging in a little hiking and stargazing and enjoying southwestern cuisine and local wine-tasting

Highlights

New Scientist Discovery Tour in partnership with GeoCultura
Experience: Chiricahua’s balanced rocks and towering spires, Catalina-Rincon metamorphic core complex, Colossal Cave, Torpedo Ridge fault zone, Bisbee mining district
See: Arizona Inn, Gordon Hirabayashi WWII government internment camp, Posta Quemada ranch and CCC camp, Coronado National Monument, Barchas Ranch Museum and Park, Bisbee old town, Copper Queen mine tour, Fort Bowie National Monument
Enjoy: University of Arizona Astronomy Sky Center, Ramsey Canyon Preserve birding site, Sonoita area wineries, Bisbee art galleries, Saguaro National Park cactus forest
The activity level is rated as MODERATE (view activity level definitions)
The tour begins and ends in Tucson, Arizona.

Overview

Southern Arizona is a land of harsh beauty, conflicting cultures, and extreme climates; it also has a geologic history replete with dramatic episodes of mountain building and destruction. This loop through the southeastern corner of the state samples the geology, history and scenery of five mountain ranges and explores how the landscape supported or confounded ancient and modern settlers. We will cross paths with native peoples, 16th century Spanish explorers, long-gone cavalry soldiers, and ambitious miners. In addition to geology, the tour includes art galleries, wine tasting, bird watching, local history, and star gazing from a world center for astronomy.

Tour Map

Day 1 – Arrival

The Arizona Inn

Participants will gather in the evening at the historic Arizona Inn in Tucson, a favorite of Hollywood stars in the 1940s and 50s. After introductions over drinks and dinner, there will be a review of the trip agenda and discussion of the basic geology/history of Arizona. The hotel is 10 miles from Tucson International Airport and 3 miles from the Tucson Amtrak station.

Overnight in Tucson. Group dinner.

Day 2 – Saguaro National Park (East), Catalina Mountains and astronomy

The day and evening will be spent to the east and northeast of Tucson in the Catalina Mountains, beginning with a drive into Saguaro National Park (East), a Sonoran Desert landscape that is home to the giant cacti that are the iconic symbol of the American west.

A walking tour (2 miles / 3.2km) along a newly created park trail will showcase an amazing geohistory where shallow rocks were displaced tens of kilometers and now rest on top of once deeply-buried, but now exposed, rocks to create the current landscape. We will wander through the desert ecosystems, and see remnants of mines and kilns that produced lime for early Tucson settlers.

An astro-evening at the University of Arizona Sky Center will include presentations, dinner and, weather permitting, spectacular guided star gazing.

Overnight in Tucson. Group dinner.

Day 3 – Deformed rocks, caves, ranches and vineyards

Civilian Conservation Corps Building

The earth-building theme continues with visits to sites illustrating how rocks can deform, slide along faults and become contorted. The deformed limestones, in this case, host a classic cavern system. We will tour a part of Colossal Cave, a portion of the system with over 3 miles of mapped passageways.

Following the cave tour, participants will visit the adjacent Posta Quemada Ranch, now a historic park, to see how early pioneers and other hardy people, including young men and women of the Civilian Conservation Corps, lived in this challenging environment.

After a picnic lunch at the park café, we will travel south across the Santa Rita mountains to a local vineyard for wine tasting and a discussion of how the Arizona landscape has changed in the past 20,000 years.

Overnight in Sonoita. Group dinner.

Day 4 – Hikes, unusual geology and birds

Eldorado Suites Hotel

The day will start in the Huachuca Mountains, a massif developed by crustal compression and block uplift in the so-called Laramide mountain building event which lasted from around 80 to 40 million years ago.

The first stop will be at the south end of the range, in Coronado National Monument, where the first Spanish expedition crossed into what is now the USA in 1540 CE. While at the monument, a short walk (0.5 miles / 0.8 km) allows participants to “bag a peak” and take in expansive vistas on both sides of the international border.

After lunch in Sierra Vista, there will be a visit to Brown Canyon and a stop at another historic ranch site, where participants can take a hike (2 miles / 3.2km) up the canyon to see the mysterious Torpedo Ridge. The ridge exposes very unusual rocks deformed in a fault zone that accommodated opposite directions of movement in episodes at least 30 million years apart. We will then visit the nearby Ramsey Canyon Nature Preserve, an ecologically diverse area on the east side of the Huachuca Mountains known particularly as a world-famous site for viewing migratory birds (including 15 species of hummingbirds).

Overnight in Bisbee. Free evening.

Day 5 – Mines and artists

Bisbee, Arizona

Bisbee made its name as a copper, gold and silver mining center in the late 1800s; in the 1960s it became a hippie and counter-culture haven and, more recently, has become an artist center. Following a walk around town, our focus will turn to the geology and history of the ore deposits. A look into the abandoned Lavender open pit, which supplied much of the copper for WW1, will be followed by a mine train tour of the Copper Queen underground mine.

There will be free time after lunch to explore the sites and shops of Bisbee before gathering for an art gallery talk and tour (and more wine!).

Overnight in Bisbee. Free evening.

Day 6 – Volcanoes, spectacular landscapes and history, tour ends

A stacked boulder at Texas Canyon, Arizona

We will head northeast from Bisbee, aiming for the Chiricahua Mountains, a place of dramatic and sometimes violent history, both geologic and human. About 30 million years ago, successive volcanic eruptions created a huge pile of lava flows and ash-fall welded tuffs. Activity peaked with the creation and collapse of a caldera that some geologists suggest was the source for more than 100 cubic miles of material that blanketed the surrounding area. Since then, mountain uplift and erosion have created a spectacular landscape of cliffs and spires, which we will explore by vehicle and on foot.

After a picnic lunch, the group will visit the ruins of Fort Bowie and see evidence from the time of conflict between the Apache people and the US Army. On the way back to Tucson, our last geology stop will be at Texas Canyon, site of mysterious “stacked boulders”.

Return to Tucson by 5pm for flights out or ongoing exploration.

Note: this provisional itinerary is subject to change.

Single Supplement

Single room supplement is £496 / $620

Activity Level and Terrain

The activity level is rated as MODERATE, requiring an average level of fitness (view activity level definitions).

Most days will have short hikes, not to exceed 2.5 miles (4km) with elevation changes of up to 300 ft (100m). The topography of the area can be quite rough, but access to the outcrops and overlooks will be fairly easy. Some walks will take place on irregular surfaces, so sturdy footwear is required. Elevations of most destinations are between 3000–7000 ft (900–2100m). The Arizona Sky Center is at 9100 ft (2750m).

Spring and autumn weather is typically mild during the day (73–84°F/23–29°C) and cool at night (48–59°F/9–15°C).

Transport will be by mini-bus.

The Tour Includes/Excludes

The Tour Includes:

The services of your tour expert(s), who will be with the group throughout the tour, providing pre-visit briefings, walking seminars and available to answer questions.
A tour leader, who will attend to logistical matters, oversee the group’s health and safety and assist participants with their queries.
All transportation costs from the start to the end of the tour, including the services of a professional coach driver.
All accommodation costs for the nights stated, assuming double occupancy rooms. Single occupancy rooms are generally available for a surcharge. See single supplement header.
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners, except for the dinners marked “free evening”.
Entry fees, local guide fees and activity fees, where arranged as part of the tour.
Most gratuities and all service charges

The Tour Excludes:

Alcoholic drinks with meals are not included.
Optional activities as described in the tour itinerary or extra activities that are not described in the itinerary.
Personal expenditures, including bar bills, laundry bills, and the cost of meals on two free evenings.
Transportation to the start venue or from the end venue of the tour (air fares are not included).
Passport and visa fees.

Participants are required to carry their own health and travel insurance in case of accident or unforeseen circumstances.

Alternate Activities

Individuals who prefer not to participate in certain activities might consider these options, which we can arrange:
Day 2: The spa at the hotel, a round of golf or visits to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Saguaro Park (West), the Tucson Desert Art Museum or the Pima Air and Space Museum.
Day 4: Remain at the Coronado National Monument Visitors Center in the morning and/or visit the Fort Huachuca Museum in the afternoon.
Day 5: A walking tour of downtown Bisbee and museum visits, or a guided bird walk or an additional vineyard visit.

Accommodation

Nights 1 and 2: Arizona Inn, Tucson, Arizona

“Sprawled across 14 acres of verdant lawns and manicured gardens in central Tucson, the Arizona Inn has been offering guests a taste of the Southwest since 1930. This boutique hotel blends the friendly ambiance of a bed-and-breakfast with the all-star service of a high-end hotel.” U.S. News Best Hotels

Night 3: Sonoita Inn, Sonoita, Arizona

“The former owner of this small hotel also owned the Triple Crown–winning racehorse Secretariat, and the inn, built to resemble a huge barn, celebrates the horse's career with photos, racing programs, and press clippings. Hardwood floors, colorful woven rugs, and retro-cowboy bedspreads distinguish the spacious rooms, some of which have window seats with views of the Santa Rita Mountains.” Fodor’s Travel 2022

Nights 4 and 5: Eldorado Suites, Bisbee, Arizona

“Just steps away from the restaurants, shops, museums and galleries on Main Street, the Eldorado allows you to experience the charms of our eclectic enclave right outside your door.”

Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternate accommodations of equal or higher quality.

Deposit and Payment Terms

Deposit: A deposit of 10% of the tour price is due upon registration for a tour.

Final payment: Full payment is due 60 days before a tour begins, or upon registration if within the 60-day window.

Cancellation by participant: A participant may cancel a registration after securing a confirmed place on a tour for any reason. The following refund terms will apply:

Greater than 60 days before tour begins: Any monies paid plus half of the deposit will be refunded
30 to 59 days before tour begins: 35% of tour price will be refunded
15 to 29 days before tour begins: 25% of tour price will be refunded
Within 14 days of tour or during the tour: No monies will be refunded

Cancellation by GeoCultura: GeoCultura reserves the right to cancel any tour due to low enrolment, inability to run the tour or concerns about the safety, health or welfare of participants. If a tour is cancelled before it begins, all monies paid will be refunded (including any deposit).

Please refer to our Terms and Conditions page for additional details.

Bob Krantz

Bob Krantz resides in Durango, Colorado, where he combines geological teaching and research with telling non-specialists about earth history.

Bob is a consulting geologist, Adjunct Professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson and faculty member at Fort Lewis College in Durango. He specializes in fault and fracture systems, with current research focusing on applying 3-D cognitive and visualization skills in complex structural settings.

While a grad student in Tucson and throughout his career, Bob has led field trips for the general public, including for Elderhostels, many in his native Arizona. He has also engaged with K-12 educators for science enrichment, and is past chair of the AAPG Youth Education Activities committee.

Bob’s love of field geology has to accommodate his other interests. He has a passion for sports cars, from restorations to racing. Once a competitive mountain biker, he still enjoys riding trails around the west. And Bob still finds time to pursue landscape photography, with both digital and old-school film.

The Santa Catalina Mountains are north of Tucson, Arizona. The highest point is Mount Lemmon at an elevation of 9,157 feet (2,791 m). Besides telescopes, the mountains host the southernmost ski resort in the US.

A view of spectacular rock formations from the Echo Canyon Loop Trail at Chiricahua National Monument.

Cholla cactus native to northern Mexico and SW USA

Cholla cactus (foreground) are native to northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Beware of “jumping cholla” that seem to snag people! Saguaro cactus (background) are tree-like, can grow to over 40 ft (12m) tall and are native to parts of SW Arizona, NW Mexico and extreme SE California (Source: Bob Krantz).

A farmhouse ruin near Fort Bowie.

A stand of Saguaro in Saguaro National Park. These cactus grow slowly and typically take several decades before growing arms. They can live for up to 200 years (Source: PeteGregoire).

A spiral petroglyph from the prehistoric Hohokam at Signal Hill in Saguaro National Park.

The Sonoita Inn. The interior spaces capture Sonoita's history through photos, artifacts and artwork. The Inn itself is a tribute to celebrated thoroughbred and Triple Crown winner Secretariat, who was co-owned by the builder (Source: Sonoita Inn).

Closer look at the limestone ribbons at Torpedo Ridge

Limestone ribbons at Torpedo Ridge in the Huachuca Mountains. What were once pebbles and cobbles were stretched and folded during deformation (Source: B. Krantz).

The Lavender Pit open pit copper mine in Bisbee, Arizona, operational until 1974 (Source: Kevin Walsh, Flickr).

A balanced rock in Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona.

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