Coronado National Memorial
It was a journey of conquest filled with exploration, wonder - and cruelty. Inspired by tales of vast cities of gold, 339 European soldiers and over a thousand Aztec allies embarked on an epic journey through arid deserts and rugged mountains. They encountered rich traditions and brought new technologies. The resulting collision and combination of cultures reverberates today.
Alerts
- ClosureYaqui Ridge Trail Closure
Due to nearby construction and blasting, the 1-mile Yaqui Ridge Trail is closed starting April 13, 2026 until further notice to ensure visitor safety. The closure begins at the junction with Joe’s Canyon Trail, and access beyond this point is not permitted. This affects access to the southern terminus of the Arizona National Scenic Trail.
- CautionNPS ↗Be Aware of Illegal Traffic
Smuggling and/or illegal entry is common in this area due to the proximity of the international border. Please be aware of your surroundings at all times and do not travel alone in remote areas.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Park | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
When to go
March draws the most visits here and June the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Coronado National Memorial Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The visitor center includes in-depth exhibits on the Coronado Expedition of 1540-1542, as well as thorough information about the natural history of the park. There are hands-on displays of 16th century clothing and armor for visitors to try on, and interactive exhibits in English and Spanish.
Explore
Things to do
- Visit Coronado Visitor Center10-25 Minutes
Explore the exhibits about the Coronado Expedition, the legacy of Spanish and Native American cultures in the region, and the natural history of Coronado National Memorial.
Opens on the Park Service site - Birding at Coronado15-120 Minutes
Birds abound at Coronado National Memorial. Certain varieties are migratory, while others can be seen throughout the year.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Coronado Cave1-2 Hours
Visit a wild cave within the Memorial. A great place to get out of the heat in the summer and out of the cold in the winter.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Montezuma Pass Ride with a Ranger and Hiker Transport10/1508:30 AM · runs through May 2 · free · registration requiredShuttle begins at the Coronado National Memorial Visitor Center
- Fall Bird Walks at Coronado National Memorial!10/2509:00 AM · runs through Nov 22 · freeVisitor Center
News
- Yaqui Fire Contained at Coronado National Memorial ↗2026-05-18
The Yaqui Fire at Coronado National Memorial was contained on the evening of Sunday, May 17, 2026. The fire remains at 61 acres, with very little visible smoke and minimal fire activity.
- Firefighters Responding to Yaqui Fire at Coronado National Memorial ↗2026-05-16
HEREFORD, Ariz. — Interagency wildland firefighters are responding to the Yaqui Fire, reported on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 1:17 p.m. The fire is located within Coronado National Memorial near Montezuma Pass.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Coronado. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for Arizona's national parks and the Southwest
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthCoyote 4× · Greater Roadrunner 2× · Great Horned Owl 2× · American Black Bear 2× · Osprey 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 178 birds, 64 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Barn Owl · Black Vulture · Cooper's Hawk · Elf Owl · Flammulated Owl · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Harris' Hawk · Merlin · Mexican spotted owl · Northern Harrier · Northern Pygmy Owl · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Whiskered Screech Owl · White-tailed Kite · Zone-tailed Hawk · short-tailed hawk
Gamebirds & dovesBand-tailed Pigeon · Common Pigeon · CommonGround-dove · Gambel's Quail · Inca Dove · Montezuma Quail · Mourning Dove · Scaled Quail · White-winged Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersAcorn Woodpecker · Arizona Woodpecker · Gila Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsAnna's Hummingbird · Black-chinned Hummingbird · Blue-throated Hummingbird · Broad-billed Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Costa's Hummingbird · Lucifer Hummingbird · Magnificent Hummingbird · Violet-crowned Hummingbird · White-eared Hummingbird · White-throated Swift · rufous hummingbird
Also on the checklistAmerican Robin · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Barn Swallow · Bell's Vireo · Bewick's wren · Black Phoebe · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-tailed Gnatcatcher · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue Grosbeak · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Botteri's Sparrow · Brewer's Sparrow · Bridled Titmouse · Bronzed Cowbird · Brown Creeper · Brown-crested Flycatcher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Bushtit · Cactus Wren · California Scrub Jay · Canyon Towhee · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Finch · Cassin's Kingbird · Cassin's Vireo · Cassin's sparrow · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-collared Longspur · Chihuahuan Raven · Chipping Sparrow · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Crissal Thrasher · Curve-billed Thrasher · Dark-eyed Junco · Dusky Flycatcher · Dusky-capped Flycatcher · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern meadowlark · Elegant Trogon · Fox Sparrow · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Flycatcher · Gray-breasted Jay · Greater Pewee · Greater Roadrunner · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hepatic Tanager · Hermit Thrush · Hermit Warbler · Hooded Oriole · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Hutton's Vireo · Indigo Bunting · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Lucy's Warbler · Macgillivray's Warbler · Mountain Bluebird · Nashville Warbler · Northern Cardinal · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Orange-crowned Warbler · Pacific-slope Flycatcher · Painted Redstart · Phainopepla · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Pyrrhuloxia · Red-faced Warbler · Rock Wren · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Scott's Oriole · Steller's Jay · Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Tecolote occidental · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Warbler · Verdin · Vermilion flycatcher · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · Whip-Poor-Will · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-eyed Junco · Yellow-rumped Warbler · black-throated sparrow · plain-capped starthroat · rufous-crowned sparrow · spotted towhee · wilson's warbler
Small mammalsArizona Cotton Rat · Arizona Gray Squirrel · Black-tailed Jack Rabbit · Botta's pocket gopher · Crawford's Gray Shrew · Eastern Cottontail · House Mouse · Merriam's Kangaroo Rat · Northern Grasshopper Mouse · Northern Pygmy Mouse · Ord's kangaroo mouse · Plains Harvest Mouse · Rock Pocket Mouse · Silky Pocket Mouse · Sonoron desert pocket mouse · Spotted Ground Squirrel · Tawny-bellied Cotton Rat · White-footed Deermouse · banner-tailed kangaroo rat · brush mouse · common porcupine · deer mouse · desert cottontail · fulvous harvest mouse · hispid pocket mouse · rock squirrel · southern grasshopper mouse · southern pocket gopher · western harvest mouse · white-throated woodrat · yellow-nosed cotton rat
PredatorsAmerican badger · black bear · bobcat · common gray fox · common raccoon · coyote · hooded skunk · kit fox · mountain lion · ocelot · ringtail cat · striped skunk · western hog-nosed skunk · western spotted skunk
Hoofed mammalscollared peccary · mule deer · white-tailed deer
BatsBrazilian free-tailed bat · California myotis · Cave Myotis · Sanborn's long-nosed bat · Townsend's big-eared bat · big brown bat · fringed myotis · hoary bat · lesser long-nosed bat · long-tongued bat · pallid bat · small-footed myotis · southwestern myotis · western pipistrelle
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum · white-nosed coati
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 13 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Though the park shares a border with our southern neighbors, the elevation and the mountain ecosystem keep Coronado National Memorial relatively cool in the summer, and winter can bring snow. Summers are warm, with daytime temps in the 90s F (32-37 C) and low humidity in May, June, and July. The summer rainy season (monsoon) is between late June and early September. Monsoon thunderstorms can cause flash floods. Winter temps can fall below freezing at night, with highs 40-60 F (4-15 C).
Questions people ask
Does Coronado charge an entrance fee?
No. Coronado is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Coronado?
Standard hours are Sunrise to Sunset, every day.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Coronado right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Yaqui Ridge Trail Closure; Be Aware of Illegal Traffic.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Coronado?
179,216 recreation visits in 2025, number 179 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
What is the weather like at Coronado?
Though the park shares a border with our southern neighbors, the elevation and the mountain ecosystem keep Coronado National Memorial relatively cool in the summer, and winter can bring snow. Summers are warm, with daytime temps in the 90s F (32-37 C) and low humidity in May, June, and July.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
