San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge

About San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge

The 2,369-acre refuge lies along the international border with Mexico in southeast Arizona's Cochise County. It was established in 1982 to protect what remained of the unique wetlands of the San Bernardino ciénega, a wetland that was historically considered the largest, most extensive in the region. This large marsh serves as a migratory corridor for wildlife between the mountain ranges of Mexico to the Rocky Mountains of Arizona and New Mexico.

How to Get There

The refuge visitor center/headquarters office is located separately from the refuge about 11.5 miles north of Douglas along Highway 191. The physical street address is 7628 North Highway 191, Douglas, AZ 85607, but is best navigated to using the coordinates listed below.GPS coordinates to the refuge headquarters: 31.50354, -109.65588. GPS coordinates for the refuge main entrance gate: 31.34564, -109.28284. The headquarters are located on Highway 191 approximately 11.5 miles north of the Highway 80 and Highway 191 junction, four miles west of Douglas. From 15th Street, go east (15th St. becomes Geronimo Trail Rd). The refuge is approximately 14.5 miles east of Douglas on Geronimo Trail Rd. Take exit 303 at Benson. Drive through Benson and follow signs to Tombstone. Almost three miles south of Tombstone, turn left onto Davis Road. Stay on Davis Road for 26 miles. At the second stop sign, turn right onto Highway 191. The entrance to the refuge headquarters is seven miles south of Davis Road on the right hand side of Highway 191. The Office is one mile west of Highway 191. Take exit 5 at Road Forks, New Mexico. Stay on Highway 80 through Douglas and turn right at Highway 191. Approximately 11.3 miles turn left onto the refuge headquarters entrance road. The headquarters is one mile west.

Plan Your Visit to San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)