Cienega Valley is a

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

located southeast of

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, in the transition zone between the Sonoran and

Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert ( es, Desierto de Chihuahua, ) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower P ...

s. It is bounded by the

Rincon Mountains The Rincon Mountains (O'odham: Cew Doʼag) are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley. The other ranges include ...

to the north, the

Whetstone Mountains The Whetstone Mountains is a mountain range in Cochise County, southeastern Arizona. Geography The range is located south of Interstate 10, between the Santa Rita Mountains to the west, and the Dragoon Mountains to the east. Higher elevations ...

to the east, the

Mustang Mountains The Mustang Mountains are a mountain range located in the southeast region of Arizona, are on the northwest side of Fort Huachuca. They are found at the southern end of the Whetstone Mountains The Whetstone Mountains is a mountain range in Coch ...

to the southeast, the

Canelo Hills The Canelo Hills are a range of low mountains or hills in eastern Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The range consists of a series of northwest–southeast trending ridges extending from the Sonoita Creek valley southwest of Sonoita to the Parker Cany ...

to the south, and the Santa Rita-Empire Mountains complex to the west. Much of the area is now part of the

Las Cienegas National Conservation Area The Las Cienegas National Conservation Area is a National Conservation Area of Arizona, located in the transitional zone between the Sonoran Desert and the Chihuahuan Desert. Description Facing housing and commercial development, more than of ro ...

, which preserves habitat for a variety of threatened plant and animal species in the valley and along Cienega Creek. The town of

Vail, Arizona Vail is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is southeast of Tucson. The population was 10,208 at the 2010 census, up from 2484 in the 2000 census. The area is known for the nearby Colossal Cave, a large ...

, is located at the northwestern edge of the valley, next to the Colossal Cave Mountain Park. The small community of Sonoita is located in the southwestern part of the valley, a few miles south of the historic

Empire Ranch Empire Ranch is a working cattle ranch in southeastern Pima County, Arizona, that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In its heyday, Empire Ranch was one of the largest in Arizona, with a range spanning over , and it ...

, which is now used as the headquarters for the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, as well as a local history museum. The

ghost towns Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by Alle ...

of Greaterville, Kentucky Camp, and Total Wreck are located at the western edge of the valley, in the foothills of the Santa Rita and Empire mountain ranges. The ghost town of Pantano is near the valley's northern edge, at the foot of the Rincon Mountains. Cienega Valley Las Cienegas National Conservation Area Arizona 2014.JPG, Cienega Valley, with the Whetstones and the Mustang Mountains in the background. Pronghorn Cienega Valley Arizona 2014.jpeg, A

pronghorn antelope The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American ante ...

in the Cienega Valley. Prairie Near Hummel Ranch House Cienega Valley Arizona 2014.jpeg, Prairie, green after the summer

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

. Cottonwood Tree Cienega Creek Arizona 2014.jpeg, A cottonwood tree along Cienega Creek.

References

{{reflist Valleys of Arizona Landforms of Pima County, Arizona Landforms of Santa Cruz County, Arizona Landforms of Cochise County, Arizona

See also

References