The Adventure of Going Places in Arizona's Mountain Empire: THE ARIZONA TRAIL

While you're here for the 21st Annual Fall Festival 2009 ( Go here for an online schedule of activities, performers and general information www.patagoniafallfestival.com ), you might happen to notice the the town of Patagonia is the only town - A Gateway - directly on The Arizona Trail that extends all the way from the Mexico border to Utah - more than 800 miles.
There's a southern segment with a trailhead on Harshaw Road and a northern segment with a trailhead on the way to Temporal Canyon accessible by going up First Avenue just before the high school. Trail users should note that there are no directional or information signage in the town of Patagonia about access to these passage entries to The Arizona Trail.

Please stop in the The Mountain Empire Visitor Information Center at 317 McKeown Avenue for directions and maps that can printed on demand.
Arizona State Trails System Guide No.4 is available there.

For information and conditions details on the 14.5 mile southern segment, go to this link Canelo Hills East Passage #2

For information and conditions details on the 22.3 mile northern segment, go to this link Passage #4 Temporal Canyon Gulch

You might also like to know that the Mountain Empire Trail Association has been working on Phase 1 of a Rails-to-Trails conversion of the old Santa Fe Pacific Railroad tracks along the original 12-mile route to Sonoita adjacent to State Route 82. The Patagonia Train Track Trail begins with an information sign at what used to be the old train depot converted for use to the town municipal offices and runs east for 1.5 miles.

The Patagonia Train Track Trail is part of a bigger Greenways Project that includes a redesign of the town park at the center of town and the adjoining blocks in the 1.2 square mile geographic area for recreation. For more information on regenerating pathfinding and recreation in a rural community, please to to this link: .  Walkable Communities

At the east end of the Patagonia Town Park within easy walking distance is one of the ongoing official legacy grant projects for the Arizona Centennial 1912 -2012 : The Restoration of the 1906 Semaphore that you can see on the south side of the old railroad depot. It memorializes when Patagonia was "the end of the line" after the train tracks to Nogales washed out before 1930.

Another legacy project in town is The Cady Hall Courtyard Garden with a History Project on Duquesne Avenue, one of two buildings in Patagonia on the National Register of Historic Places.
More information here Cady Hall Courtyard Garden with A History Project

Take your time to enjoy the festival and the music, and please take your time to walk around the Town Park and along the other avenues at the heart of town. It's a very walkable community!