Willcox

Seeing scores of sandhill cranes – along with ducks, grebes, shorebirds, waters, and passerines – take flight from Cochise Lakes is a thrilling spectacle for anyone, not just birdwatchers. Willcox celebrates its visiting fowl – the cranes and other species migrate to the area each winter – with an annual festival, Wings Over Willcox, that draws human visitors from around the world.

The Sonoran Desert surrounding Willcox attracts hikers, cyclists, campers, golfers, and other adventure-seekers. Chiricahua National Monument has more than 20 miles of hiking trails through towering spike rock formations, along with an impressive array of desert plants and animals. Cochise Stronghold has a five-mile hiking trail, rock climbing, petroglyphs, and picnic and camping facilities.

History buffs will appreciate the area’s role in the Indian Wars of the late 1880s. Willcox is the starting point for a journey through the Magic Circle of Cochise: from the ghost town of Dos Cabezas to Apache Pass to Fort Bowie National Historic Site.

Western music and movie fans flock to Willcox each year for Rex Allen Days, a tribute to the famous western movie star. The Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame tips its hat to Willcox’s ranching influence. To learn more about the history of Apaches, the military, ranching, the railroad and mining in the Sulphur Springs Valley, check out the Chiricahua Regional Museum & Research Center.

Historic downtown Willcox is home to the oldest continually operating store in Arizona, along with antique shops, museums, locally-owned restaurants and specialty shops.

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