Named in honor of Spanish conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, who trudged north in 1540 searching for the Seven Cities of Cíbola, Coronado National Memorial is home to a beautiful landscape along the U.S.-Mexico border, on the southern end of the Huachuca Mountains. There is a visitors center (Coronado Memorial Rd., 5 miles from Hwy. 92, 520/366-5515, www.nps.gov/coro, daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.) with exhibits about its namesake, local history, and natural history.

Three miles west of the visitors center is a scenic overlook at Montezuma Pass, with expansive views of the San Pedro and San Rafael Valleys and Mexico. You can have a picnic here and hike around on a number of trails leading to and from the lookout, but there’s no camping allowed.

Getting to the Coronado National Memorial

To get to the Coronado National Memorial, go south on Highway 92 about 20 miles to South Coronado Memorial Drive, then it’s five miles to the visitors center. (At the visitors center you can purchase a map of the Huachucas with all the trails on it for $5.)