Birding Around Las Vegas, Favorite Places Far Away
 Elegant Trogon along Sonoita Creek above Patagonia Lake |
Description Patagonia Lake is fringed with brush thickets and cattails and is located adjacent to a natural area. The developed areas can be noisy, but shoreline trails run through various habitat types (desert scrub, mesquite thickets, and cattail marsh) and lead to good areas for finding desert scrub, riparian, and waterfowl species. Hummingbirds are common at campground feeders. Northern Beardless-Tyrannulets are said to be fairly common in the mesquite thickets. The Sonoita Creek State Natural Area is a pristine area adjacent to the park with 5,000 acres of cottonwoods, willows, sycamores, and mesquites. Watch for nesting Gray Hawks and Zone-tailed Hawks during spring and summer. |
 Patagonia Lake |
Location Patagonia Lake State Park is located off Hwy 82, 7 miles west of Patagonia. The Park is on the north side of the highway. Watch for signs, then drive about 4 miles to the main gate. Link to Maps. Hours Gates are locked between 10 PM and 4 AM. Fees The State Park charges an entrance fee of $15-$20 per car. For More Information Patagonia Lake State Park & Sonoita Creek Natural Area. Visit the Patagonia Lake State Park website. For reservations or more information, call the visitor center at (520) 287-6965. |
Patagonia Lake State Park Campground
 Turn-around loop at park boundary |
 Approaching the entrance station |
 Entrance station |
 Fee schedule on sign before entrance station |
 Entrance station |
 Patagonia Lake State Park Campground, tent area |
 Patagonia Lake State Park Campground, tent area |
 Patagonia Lake State Park Campground; Liz cooking dinner at sunset |
 Western Kingbird in the campground |
 Inca Dove in the campground |
Patagonia Lake
Patagonia Lake (view E) |
 Patagonia Lake (view W) |
 Patagonia Lake with Common Mergansers and ducks |
 Patagonia Lake with Double-crested Cormorant |
Sonoita Creek Birding Trail (above the lake)
 Patagonia Lake Birding Trail trailhead parking (view E) |
 Birding Trail information kiosk and accessible trail (view E) |
 Birding Trail map posted on the kiosk (view E) |
 Accessible section of Birding Trail ends at bird feeders (view N) |
 Birding Trail passes through a gate with information signs |
 Non-accessible section of Birding Trail |
 Mexican Mallards in the marshy east end of the lake |
 Cinnamon Teal in flooded woodland |
 Black-capped Gnatcatcher |
 Sonoita Creek feeds the lake |
 Sonoita Creek |
 Elegant Trogon along Sonoita Creek |
 Sonoita Creek |
 Sonoita Creek |
 Eurasian Collared Dove |
 Some trail junctions are well marked |
 Wild mustard plants grow thick in the spring |
 Bell's Vireo collecting "spider web" from caterpillar nest |
 Wild mustard plants are overgrowing the trail |
 Pipevine Swallowtail on yellow flowers |
Sonoita Creek Natural Area (below the dam)
 Sonoita Creek Natural Area below the lake |
 Sonoita Creek Natural Area below the lake |
 Mexican Mallards in Sonoita Creek Natural Area |
 Sonoita Creek Natural Area |
 Sonoita Creek Natural Area |
 Sonoita Creek Natural Area |
 Sonoita Creek Natural Area |
 Sonoita Creek Natural Area |
 Sonoita Creek Natural Area |
 Sonoita Creek Natural Area |
Happy birding! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
; Last updated 240509
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