Historic Empire Ranch | Arizona
The historic Empire Ranch has been a working cattle ranch for nearly 150 years. Its rich history includes successive ownership by two prominent ranching families, two corporations, and finally by the federal government on behalf of the general public.
The Empire Ranch Headquarters is magnificently situated in the high Sonoran Desert and rolling grasslands of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (LCNCA), located just 50 miles southeast of Tucson, and 10 miles north of Sonoita. The Ranch Headquarters and the LCNCA are open daily to visitors from sunrise to sunset.
The Empire Ranch House is a 22-room adobe and wood frame building, which dates to 1870 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The ranch sits at the heart of the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, on public lands acquired and administered since 1988.
The half-mile interpretive Heritage Discovery Trail is at the north end of the Empire Ranch Headquarters. Along this packed gravel trail, visitors learn the history behind the area, including the Hired Man’s House and the New Ranch House.
Accessibility Description (ABA/ADA)
Visitors who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices can access some of the rooms at the historic Empire Ranch headquarters through the front breezeway entrance.
Visitors can learn about the history of the "Hired Man's House" and the "New Ranch House" while exploring the accessible Heritage Discovery Trail located along Empire Gulch in the Empire Ranch headquarters area in the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area.
There is a small, packed-gravel parking lot near the trailhead, with 2 designated accessible parking spaces on a concrete pad. A concrete pathway leads from the accessible parking to a double vault toilet. Cell phone reception at this site is good.
Near the toilet is a water spigot with an easy-to-use lever valve. In addition, there is an interpretive sign with audio interpretation, provided when visitors turn a hand crank at a height appropriate for wheelchair users.
The Heritage Discovery Trail is a ½-mile-long loop with a surface of compacted gravel. The Trail has a grade of less than 5 percent. There are 11 benches without arms, 10 of them at the amphitheater along the Trail. The segment that leads to the Grove House is rockier and steeper and may present challenges for some visitors.
The barn and other buildings on the site were built beginning in the 1870s and have not been modified to enhance accessibility. There are no established picnic areas, but picnic tables sitting on natural surface are scattered throughout the site. These tables have inset legs that allow wheelchair users to pull up to each end.
Plentiful interpretive and informational signs allow visitors to take a self-guided tour.
This area is part of the Cienega Watershed TravelStorys Audio Tour. TravelStorys, a BLM Partner, enables users to hear place-based descriptions of an area while driving. Download the app in advance, and it launches automatically as travelers approach the site, without needing cell service or Wi-Fi.
Descriptions and photos uploaded March 2025. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements. Go to the BLM's visit page for Las Cienegas National Conservation Area for information about accessibility features at Empire Ranch Headquarters and Heritage Discovery Trail.
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Directions
From Tucson, follow I-10 E to AZ-83 (exit 281). Follow AZ-83 S for 18 miles. Watch for Historic Empire Ranch sign between mileposts 39 and 40. Turn E on LC 900 road and follow signs for 3 miles to the Empire Ranch House. From Sierra Vista, follow AZ-90 N to AZ-82 W to AZ-83 N. Follow AZ-83 N for 6.6 miles. Watch for Historic Empire Ranch sign between mileposts 39 and 40. Turn E on LC 900 road and follow signs for 3 miles to the Empire Ranch House.
Fees
The Historic Empire Ranch is free (no fee required) for general visits by the public.
However, commercial, competitive, and large organized group events require a special recreation permit. Contact the Tucson Field Office for more information about special recreation permits.