Coronado National Memorial
The Coronado National Memorial commemorates the first organized expedition into the Southwest by conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1540. Head 8 mi south of Sierra Vista Southeast to reach it. It comes under the National Park Service. In 2025 it counted 179K visits.
A national memorial, 8 mi south of Sierra Vista Southeast
Visits hit a record in 2025
The National Park Service counted 179,216 visitors in 2025, the most in 10 years of counts. Visitors ↓
Summers are hot
June highs run 94–94°, and about 53 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Sierra Vista Southeast is the nearest base
Sierra Vista Southeast is 8 miles north, with 10 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best month: Oct
October is mild and quieter than average, with a high of 79°. When to go ↓
A day trip from Tucson
Tucson is about 66 miles northwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
When it’s busy, and the weather
Below are monthly visits and typical highs at Coronado.
Coronado National Memorial
The Coronado National Memorial commemorates the first organized expedition into the Southwest by conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1540. The memorial is located in a natural setting on the Mexico–United States border on the southeast flank of the Huachuca Mountains south of Sierra Vista, Arizona and is bordered to the north and west by Coronado National Forest. Within the memorial is an overlook at Montezuma Pass where the Coronado expedition entered modern Arizona. The memorial confirms the ties that bind the United States and Mexico.
- Type
- National Memorial
- Established
- 1952
- Area
- 4,830 acres
- Elevation
- 5,459 ft
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966)
- Wikipedia readers
- 3.3K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/coro
Opening times and entry
Where to stay near Coronado National Memorial
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Sierra Vista (33) and Sierra Vista Southeast (10).
Sierra Vista
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
44,907 people
15 mi north of Coronado National Memorial Visitor Center · 14 mi to the park
Sierra Vista Southeast
14,330 people
8 mi north of Coronado National Memorial Visitor Center · 6 mi to the park
Bisbee
4,860 people
19 mi east of Coronado National Memorial Visitor Center · 18 mi to the park
Tombstone
1,376 people
28 mi north of Coronado National Memorial Visitor Center · 26 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Vista | 15 mi north | 25 min | 33 28 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 RV parks | 44,907 | $254K | C+ |
| Sierra Vista Southeast | 8 mi north | 10 min | 10 3 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds | 14,330 | $259K | — |
| Bisbee | 19 mi east | 30 min | 26 17 hotels · 1 motel · 6 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins | 4,860 | $217K | B+ |
| Tombstone | 28 mi north | 40 min | 31 8 hotels · 6 motels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 1,376 | $183K | — |
| Palominas | 9 mi east | 15 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B | 253 | $199K | — |
| Naco | 19 mi east | 30 min | 2 1 campground · 1 RV park | 1,060 | $74K | — |
| Whetstone | 26 mi north | 40 min | 3 3 RV parks | 2,971 | $214K | — |
| Sonoita | 32 mi northwest | 50 min | 5 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 663 | $460K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Worth adding to a visit
Within 70 miles you can add these well-known places.
62 mi National ParkSaguaro National Park848K visitors a year
34 mi CaveKartchner Caverns State Park52 mi AttractionThe Thing?
65 mi MuseumPima Air & Space Museum
128 mi MuseumBird Cage Theatre
57 mi MuseumTitan Missile Museum
45 mi National forestCoronado National Forest
69 mi Stadium & arenaVeterans Memorial StadiumPhoto credits
Saguaro National Park: Luke Jones from Yucca Valley, CC BY 2.0 · Kartchner Caverns State Park: Mike Lewis, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pima Air & Space Museum: The original uploader was MCB at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploade, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Bird Cage Theatre: Hawkeye58, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Titan Missile Museum: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0 · Coronado National Forest: Zereshk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Veterans Memorial Stadium: No machine-readable author provided. Friejose assumed (based on copyright claims, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Record year: 179,216 in 2025
Yearly visitors, 2016 through 2025, are below.
A visit to Coronado: questions
What town is Coronado National Memorial near?
Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ, about 8 miles north.
When is the best time to visit Coronado National Memorial?
October, with a high of 79°. March is the busiest month (about 16,257 visitors).
How many people visit Coronado National Memorial each year?
179,216 in 2025, according to the National Park Service.
How far is Coronado National Memorial from Tucson?
About 66 miles northwest of Tucson, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Coronado National Memorial?
Tucson (TUS), about 67 miles away.
Where should I stay near Coronado National Memorial?
Sierra Vista (15 mi, 33 places to stay), Sierra Vista Southeast (8 mi, 10 places to stay) and Bisbee (19 mi, 26 places to stay).
Ask a local in Sierra Vista Southeast
No one has shared advice yet; Sierra Vista Southeast’s Town Square takes questions.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.