Visit the Monument

About the Ironwood Forest National Monument

Taking its name from one of the longest living trees in the Arizona desert, the 129,000-acre Ironwood Forest National Monument is a true Sonoran Desert showcase.  Keeping company with the ironwood trees are mesquite, palo verde, creosote, and saguaro, blanketing the monument floor beneath rugged mountain ranges named Silver Bell, Waterman and Sawtooth. In between, desert valleys lay quietly to complete the setting.

This incredible landscape recognized for its rugged scenery, biological diversity and cultural legacy located 25 miles northwest of Tucson.

The monument contains a significant system of cultural and historic sites covering a 5,000-year period. The monument home to threatened and endangered species; including Nichols Turk’s head cactus, lesser long-nosed bat, and desert tortoise.

One of Arizona’s best kept secrets, the Ironwood Forest National Monument serves as a biological anchor point for conserving some of our rarest flora and fauna, extraordinary landscapes, recreational opportunities, and irreplaceable archaeological treasures.

Activities and Safety

Learn about visitor activities and some of the safety precautions you should take when visiting the Ironwood Forest National Monument. Check out Activities & Safety >

Map & Directions

View different maps of Ironwood Forest National Monument and learn some of the best ways to get here. View Map & Get Directions

Be a responsible monument visitor

We need your help to ensure that the Ironwood Forest National Monument remains the stunning place it is today. Respect the rules of the land, wildlife and other visitors, tread lightly and leave no trace. If you see something that shouldn’t be happening, please let us know and report the incident to the BLM at 1-800-309-7081