Titan Missile Site

Many Arizonans probably don’t know that this site was home to one of the world’s most destructive weapons to ever exist.

The Titan II missile was capable of 25 times the speed of sound and had a target range of 5500 miles. Now, this site is an easy way for people to see Sonoran desert plants and get an informational tour of a fascinating piece of our military history. 

To access the site, you travel mostly on paved roads and turn onto a graded dirt section for about ½ mile. There are multiple parking spaces including an accessible space with a paved pad. There is a graded gravel trail used to tour the missile site which used to house an underground silo and living quarters. Interpretive signs on site describe the history of the Titan missile program including the development, manning, and eventual destruction of the missile site.

In partnership with the US Air Force, The BLM and Arizona Native Plants Society, volunteers have been helping the native Sonoran desert plants reclaim the once highly disturbed area. This work reanimates the life of the land as its progression is solely because of how valued the area is to the community. Visitors can now see numerous palo verde, mesquite, and ironwood trees here as well as a few types of cactus. As these plants move in so do Sonoran desert wildlife such as antelope squirrels and several types of hawks (birds of IFNM).

Learn how to get more involved with Friends of Ironwood Forest.