Montezuma Canyon Road

Nearly five centuries ago, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s expedition crossed into present-day Arizona, following the San Pedro River north in search of seven legendary cities of gold. It came up empty, but the expedition became the stuff of legend. A drive through Coronado National Memorial, on the U.S.-Mexico border, offers plenty of that history, but those simply interested in unspoiled wilderness and stunning panoramas will find treasure there, too.

The drive begins on Coronado Memorial Road, which runs south, then west as it cuts around the Miller Peak Wilderness on the southeast flank of the Huachuca Mountains. Initially, you’ll pass through a verdant grassland that features excellent views of the Huachucas’ dramatic cliffs. After 3 miles, you’ll enter the memorial, where the road becomes Montezuma Canyon Road. Straight ahead is 7,641-foot Montezuma Peak, a rocky summit that looms over the memorial’s visitors center at Mile 4.8.

Continuing west for a quarter-mile, you’ll reach the parking area for Coronado Cave. From there, a half-mile trail leads to a 600-foot-long limestone cavern with 20-foot ceilings. Some scrambling is required to get in, and you’ll also need to provide your own light source, but the reward is a peek inside one of Southern Arizona’s few open and undeveloped cave systems.

From here, manzanitas and other trees, along with yuccas and agaves, close in on the roadside as you switchback up to Montezuma Pass. The pavement ends at Mile 6.1, but the resulting dirt road is in fine shape for the remaining 2 miles to the pass. From there, you’ll get an excellent view of the road you just traveled and the San Pedro River Valley farther east. To the west is the sprawling San Rafael Valley. For a panorama that incorporates both of these vistas, hike the short, steep trail up Coronado Peak, which offers a view south into Mexico. Interpretive signs at the pass tell the story of Coronado’s expedition, which made it all the way to present-day Kansas before giving up its search.

If you’re driving a high-clearance vehicle, you can continue west on Montezuma Canyon Road, which enters the Coronado National Forest and becomes Forest Road 61. The road winds through a tree-filled landscape on the slopes of the Huachucas, and you’ll soon get a good view of 7,244-foot Sutherland Peak straight ahead. Within a few miles, piñon pines and junipers join the deciduous trees along the route, and after a series of one-lane bridges, the road gets rougher and more rutted. Take it slow and keep an eye out for mule deer, roadrunners and other wildlife found in this valley.

Around Mile 17, the road (now Forest Road 48) crosses another broad grassland — one that offers a nice panorama of the Huachucas’ southwest slopes. Three miles later, you’ll come to Sunnyside Road, which leads to the ghost town of Sunnyside. Formed in the 1890s but deserted by the 1940s, the town today is owned by descendants of its original settlers, and a few buildings are still standing.

A couple of miles past Sunnyside Road, you’ll reach the end of this drive when Montezuma Canyon Road intersects State Route 83 near Parker Canyon Lake. Turn left to hit the reservoir and its numerous recreation opportunities, or turn right to head northwest to Sonoita’s burgeoning wine country. Either way, you’ll be good as gold.