Madera Canyon, AZ

Madera Canyon is located about 30 minutes south of Tucson, Arizona. Southeast Arizona is known for it's habitat diversity, largely due to the small mountain ranges that create "sky islands" in the desert. Madera Canyon is part of one such sky island in the Santa Rita Mountains.

As an example, Green Valley, a large town just outside Madera Canyon, is at an elevation of 2900', and has a typical AZ summer climate (average highs in the low 100's). Madera Canyon starts around 3500', and goes up to about 6000' before turning into a mountain side, and rising to 9500' at the peak of Mt Wrightson. Within this area, landscape starts arid with Saguaros and other desert plants. It slowly turns into more dense 'scrub', then Junipers and Oak, then pines, firs, and spruce. All of this habitat means that in a matter of a few miles of each other live lizards, snakes, mountain lions, deer, bear, tropical birds, and northern/temperate birds.

Below are a few of the animals and insects seen on a September trip to Madera.

Black Bear


Yarrow's Spiny Lizard


Orange Sulphur Butterfly


Horse Lubber Grasshopper - This was Giant!


Elegant Trogon


California Sister Butterfly



And here are a few other photos from my May trip to Madera Canyon.

Elegant Trogon


Painted Redstart



Brown Crested Flycatcher


Black-Headed Grosbeak


Magnificent Hummingbird


Flame-Colored Tanager