AZ-San+Pedro+RNCA--Murray+Springs+Clovis+Site

Also see San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area
 * =Birding in Arizona=

Cochise County
=San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area= =Murray Springs Clovis Site= Sierra Vista, Arizona 85650 San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area web site San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area map

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San Pedro RNCA--Murray Springs Clovis Site
Coordinates: 31.571092, -110.1790309 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Murray Springs Clovis Site
Mammoth fossil at Murray SpringsToday, scientists think that the Murray Springs Clovis Site was created by nomadic hunters who stayed in the area to pursue large game, such as mammoth, horses, and bison. Archaeologists have named these early hunters “Paleoindians,” and due to their distinctive artifacts, the “Clovis” people, after the first site having these types of artifacts, which was found in eastern New Mexico in the 1930s. The Murray Springs Clovis Site was named for the nearest natural feature that appeared on the maps of the area in 1966; Murray Springs, which is actually located about one-half of a mile further mile east.

The Murray Springs Site is one of the most important and well documented early human sites in North America. The site has yielded the most evidence of Clovis stone tool manufacture in the entire Southwestern United States, and the evidence of large mammal butchering and use at the site is unsurpassed. The Murray Springs Site was created between 12,000 and 13,000 years ago, in the late Pleistocene era, by a small group of Clovis people, who camped nearby, and who probably hunted large animals as they came down to water in the arroyo. From Murray Springs Clovis Site web page

About San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area contains nearly 57,000 acres of public land in Cochise County, Arizona, between the international border and St. David, Arizona. The riparian area, where some 40 miles of the upper San Pedro River meanders, was designated by Congress as a Riparian National Conservation Area on November 18, 1988. The primary purpose for the special designation is to protect and enhance the desert riparian ecosystem, a rare remnant of what was once an extensive network of similar riparian systems throughout the American Southwest. One of the most important riparian areas in the United States, the San Pedro River runs through the Chihuahuan Desert and the Sonoran Desert in southeastern Arizona. The river’s stretch is home to more than 80 species of mammals, two native species and several introduced species of fish, more than 40 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 100 species of breeding birds. It also provides invaluable habitat for 250 species of migrant and wintering birds and contains archaeological sites representing the remains of human occupation from 13,000 years ago.

The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area is located 6 miles east of Sierra Vista, Arizona. From Tucson, take I-10 east 40 miles to AZ-90. Follow the highway south through Huachuca City to Fry Boulevard in Sierra Vista. Follow this street for six miles east until you reach the San Pedro House. The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area can also be accessed via AZ-80, near St. David; AZ-82 to Fairbank; Charleston Road to Millville Historic Townsite; Hereford Road to Hereford Bridge; and AZ-92 to Palominas.

The area provides opportunities for wildlife viewing including birdwatching, picnicking, primitive camping, pre-historic and historic site visiting, hunting, hiking, fishing, biking, horseback riding, guided hikes, interpretive site visitation, and weekend children’s programs. Parking, interpretive kiosks and trailheads are located at Fairbank, Murry Springs, San Pedro House, Land Corral, Terrenate, Millville and Hereford Bridge. Parking and trailheads are also available at Hereford Road, Charleston Road, Palominas, Terrenate, Escapule and Lehner. The Friends of the San Pedro lead regularly scheduled guided walks: Every Saturday at 8:00 a.m. - Guided Nature and History Walks (Starting from San Pedro House) 2nd Wednesdays and 4th Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. - Bird Walks (Starting from San Pedro House)

The national conservation area features the intact remains of the Spanish Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenante, a Spanish fortress marking the northern extension of New Spain into the New World. The Murray Springs Clovis Site is a significant archaeological resource that contains evidence of the earliest known people to inhabit North America. An interpretive trail leads visitors to the site. The area also features the ruins of the old mining town of Fairbank. The San Pedro House, a 1930’s-era converted ranch house, serves as a bookstore and visitor center. FromSan Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area web site

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