Santa Cruz County Relocation Guide (Page 85)

Arizona’s smallest county, Santa Cruz County encompasses over 1,200 square miles of high desert terrain, with gently sloping hills leading up to the grandeur of the San Cayetano, Santa Cruz and Patagonia Mountains, tree-lined river banks, and acres of open space.  The abundant natural resources of Santa Cruz County reflect a quality of life from a simpler time, when cowboys roamed the hills and cattle grazed.  Seasonal climate changes are moderate, with cooler temperatures that encourage thousands of species of plant life to flourish, including part of the largest native cottonwood forest in the country.  And there is no shortage of activity for the nature lover, with fishing at Peña Blanca Lake and Patagonia Lake State Park, hiking the historic Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, some of the best bird watching to be found along the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area, which could become the largest state park in Arizona, even golfing at some of Arizona’s most beautiful and challenging courses, including some designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr.