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Featured Adventure Site

THE EMPIRE RANCH: PRESERVING WESTERN HERITAGE

Present day photo of Empire RanchSprawling across the rolling high-desert grasslands of BLM-Arizona’s Las Cienegas Natural Conservation Area, the Empire Ranch is both a historic treasure and a modern-day, working cattle ranch. Located about 45 miles southeast of Tucson , the Ranch, begun as a modest 160-acre spread in the 1870s, was at one time almost one million acres in size. The Empire Ranch House, a 22-room mansion, is listed on National Register of Historic Places.
Historical photo of Empire Ranch VIRTUAL TOUR
Can’t get there in person, or want a preview?  View an online presentation about the Ranch and its history here.
The original Ranch house was built around 1873.
Photo from Empire Ranch festival EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

In partnership with BLM, the Empire Ranch Foundation—dedicated to preserving the Ranch’s historic buildings and surrounding landscapes—plans to restore the Ranch House as a historic-house museum, establish a self-guided “Heritage Trail,” and develop educational programs for visitors of all ages.  Learn more about these plans, as well as Ranch events and celebrations, at the Foundation’s website. 
Empire Ranch educational programs include demonstrations
of Ranch culture.
Photo from Empire Ranch art show VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteers are always needed for special events, preservation projects, and other Empire Ranch activities.  For more information on volunteer opportunities, please visit the website of the BLM-Tucson Field Office or the Empire Ranch Foundation, or e-mail the Foundation.  
Volunteers sponsor an annual western art show and sale to support the Ranch activities.
Map of Arizona showing Empire Ranch
 TOURIST FACILITIES, AMENITIES AND ATTRACTIONS

Primitive camping is permitted on existing sites within the Conservation Area; please visit the website of the BLM-Tucson Field Office for more information.  The nearest lodging to the Ranch is located south of the Conservation Area, in Sonoita (5 miles) and Patagonia (17.5 miles). The Tucson and Sierra Vista areas also offer visitors premier destinations for unique educational and recreational pursuits, as well as a wide variety of lodging and dining options. 

Find out more at these websites:

Additional information is available at the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area listing in Recreation.gov, the Federal government’s “one-stop shopping” website for recreational opportunities.

This page was created by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Cultural and Fossil Resources, Recreation, and Environmental Education Groups, 1849 C Street, Room 406-LS, Washington, DC 20240. Send comments or questions relating to accessibilty of documents to NI_Webteam@blm.gov

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