Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
1,074 acres3.4 mi of trail
Cienega Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: The Old Pueblo · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Arivaca
Few parks or trails are on the map in Arivaca
The biggest trail networks: Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (3.4 mi). 49% of Arivaca’s land is conserved, about 8,637 acres. 135 acres are parks and preserves, 504 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
49%
8,637 acres · of 27.8 sq mi of land
Trails
20 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
135 ac
504 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
28%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,832 ft
Twin Peaks
Lakes & rivers
3
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, with 3.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
8,637 conserved acres
49% of Arivaca’s land. Who manages Arivaca’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State Department of Land6,695 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service2,293 ac
County619 ac
U.S. Forest Service171 ac
State Resource Management Area · 6,695 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 2,293 acLocal Conservation Area · 609 acNational Forest · 171 acLocal Recreation Area · 10 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 8 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Trust Land State Resource Management Area | State Department of Land | 6,695 | Restricted |
| Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 2,293 | Restricted |
| Rancho Seco Local Conservation Area | County | 481 | Unknown |
| Coronado National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 171 | Open |
| Arivaca Open Space Local Conservation Area | County | 120 | Open |
| Arivaca Community Center Local Recreation Area | County | 10 | Open |
| Flap Local Conservation Area | County | 8 | Unknown |
Things to do
4 places to go in Arivaca
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Arivaca
Twin Peaks3,832 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Arivaca
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Arivaca
La Seista Campground
DirectionsMesquite Ranch Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 8.2 mi
Bear Grass2.6 mi
Cienega Trail0.8 mi
Jalisco Canyon0.4 mi
South Gold Nugget Trail0.2 mi
South Mountain Verde Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Basketball
1Skate park
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Arivaca SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 2012
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Arivaca: April and May
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.3 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.7 | 14.2 | 14.0 | 13.3 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 10.1 |
| High (°F) | 64 | 66 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 95 | 94 | 92 | 89 | 82 | 72 | 63 |
| Rain (in) | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
May is the driest month (0.2 in) and June the warmest (highs of 95 °F). 3.8 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 95 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Arivaca →
Questions about parks and trails in Arivaca
Where can I hike in Arivaca?
The longest trail networks: Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, 3.4 miles; Schoolhouse Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Arivaca’s trails?
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and Schoolhouse Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Arivaca?
114,054 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Arivaca or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 303 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Arivaca neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →