Tucson Arizona Agua Caliente Park

• ADA accessible facilities
• Horseshoe pits
• Picnic area
• Restrooms
• Drinking water
• Interpretive information
• Wildlife and aquatic viewing opportunities
• Historical sites, warm springs, walking path.

Permits required for Agua Caliente Park for Easter Sunday

Access to the Roy P. Drachman-Agua Caliente Park will be by permit only on Easter Sunday, April 11. The east side park is a popular destination for park users on the Easter holiday.

Agua Caliente, literally meaning "hot water," is a unique 101-acre park with a perennial warm spring flowing into three large ponds. The water source has attracted a wide variety of waterfowl and other wildlife species to the true oasis environs. Human habitation at the spring has been found to date back about 5500 years. The site makes for a perfect place for a picnic, family outing, or a day hike.

Drachman Agua Caliente is located at 12325 East Roger Road, on the far east side of Tucson. Drachman Agua Caliente has a long and very interesting history associated with it. In 1873, for example, a ranch and health resort was developed to promote the curative properties of the warm springs. The ranch bunkhouse, which dates back to the 1920s, was used by ranch hands.

Improvements have added the modern conveniences, but never at the expense of historical aspects of the park, including a paved entry drive, parking lot and sand-topped paved trails that have been painstakingly designed to blend with the surrounding desert oasis.

Interpretive signs, such as those in some of the pictures, explaining the unique geology and history of the warm spring, as well as the natural and human history of the site, are conveniently located throughout the lush green park. The new entry gates, and also the interpretive sign supports were produced as part of the public art component of the park development. The ranches and caretaker cottage are refurbished.

Enjoy the Park!

Introduction - Agua Caliente Restoration Program
Pima County has a strong interest in ecological restoration and enhancement. In May 2000, County Administrator C. H. Huckelberry directed county staff to improve conservation activities at county-owned springs, including re-establishment of native fish and frogs where appropriate.

In July 2000, Dr. Phil Rosen developed a concept for rehabilitation of the Agua Caliente wetlands, which was forwarded for consideration to the U.S. Corps of Engineers. The Corps determined that there was a federal interest in studying ecosystem restoration at Agua Caliente Spring and Wash. In October 2001, the Corps initiated the current investigation under their Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Study.

The Agua Caliente Restoration Study Web site was created to inform people of the purpose of the study, the study alternatives, and to provide up-to-date information on the progress of the study.