Cochise County
Located among the scenic sky-island mountains and desert riparian preserves of southeastern Arizona, Cochise County also is a land of Old West legends. In Tombstone-"the town too tough to die"-the infamous gun battle at the OK Corral is re-enacted today. Cochise's Stronghold, the fabled hideout of the Chiricahua Apache Indians, is a hiking and rock-climbing mecca in the Dragoon Mountains near Benson-also the former railroad hub of Southern Arizona and current home of Kartchner Caverns State Park. In the mile-high artist colony of Bisbee, history is preserved among the Victorian-era homes and mining boomtown attractions. At one of the oldest military outposts in the American West-Fort Huachuca-a statue and museum pays tribute to the contributions of America's African-American troops, the Buffalo Soldiers. Birding is extremely popular in the 36-mile San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area where the San Pedro River supports more than 400 species. The Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Nature Preserve near Sierra Vista is a peaceful oasis where a rainbow of hummingbirds migrates seasonally, along with more than 150 other bird species. Every winter, huge populations of sandhill cranes visit the produce-farming town of Willcox. Along the international border, Douglas is distinguished for its many National Register of Historic Places buildings and proximity to Mexico.
Cochise County Tourism Council
520-432-9215, www.explorecochise.com
Benson Visitors Center
520-586-4293, www.bensonchamberaz.com
Bisbee Visitor Center
520-432-3554, 866-2BISBEE, www.discoverbisbee.com
Douglas Visitor Center
520-364-2478, 888-315-9999, www.douglasaz.gov
Sierra Vista Convention & Visitors Bureau
800-288-3861, www.visitsierravista.com
Tombstone Chamber of Commerce
888-457-3929, www.tombstonechamber.com
Willcox Chamber of Commerce
520-384-2272, 800-200-2272, www.willcoxchamber.com
