Buenos Aires Refuge East Unit Road

The primitive track through Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge’s remote eastern unit follows old ranch roads across 30 miles of classic Sonoran Desert, passing crumbling adobe ruins from the area’s cattle ranching days and offering excellent wildlife viewing for desert bighorn sheep, javelinas, and roadrunners. The route connects a network of two-tracks originally built to service windmills and stock tanks, now maintained just enough to keep them passable for high-clearance vehicles navigating between towering saguaros and ocotillo forests.

This difficult route demands experienced desert drivers with recovery gear—soft sand, hidden washes, and confusing trail intersections can strand the unprepared. Best tackled November through February when temperatures stay manageable and wildlife is most active. No permits required, but check in at refuge headquarters for current conditions. Water and fuel are non-existent once you leave the pavement. What you get is 30 miles of pristine Sonoran Desert without another soul in sight, plus some of the best wildlife photography opportunities in southern Arizona.