Willcox, Arizona is the unassuming high-desert town that anchors a corner of the state most travelers blow past on Interstate 10. That is their loss. Sitting at about 4,200 feet on the edge of the Willcox Playa, this old railroad and ranching town has quietly become Arizona's premier wine country, a top winter birding destination, and the natural basecamp for visiting Chiricahua National Monument an hour to the southeast. Here are the best things to do in Willcox, AZ.
Taste Arizona Wine Country
The Willcox area produces roughly three-quarters of Arizona's wine grapes, thanks to its high elevation, hot days, cool nights, and mineral-rich soils. Downtown Willcox has a walkable cluster of tasting rooms, so you can sample without driving between vineyards.
- Downtown tasting rooms: Several wineries keep cozy storefronts along Railroad Avenue near the historic depot
- Vineyard estates: Larger producers like those along the Kansas Settlement Road corridor offer patio tastings with views of the Chiricahuas and Dos Cabezas peaks
- Events: Time your trip for a Willcox Wine Festival weekend in spring or fall for a town-wide pour
See the Sandhill Cranes
From late October through February, tens of thousands of sandhill cranes winter on the Willcox Playa, a vast dry lakebed and one of the great wildlife spectacles of the Southwest. At dawn the cranes lift off the Cochise Lake area near the city golf course in noisy, swirling clouds. The Willcox area also draws serious birders year-round, with the annual Wings Over Willcox festival each January celebrating the cranes, raptors, and waterfowl.
Explore History on Railroad Avenue
Willcox's old town has real Western character. The 1880 Southern Pacific depot, the Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum honoring the local singing-cowboy film star, and the Chiricahua Regional Museum all sit within a few blocks. It is an easy, free way to spend a morning before heading out to the trails, and a handful of cafes and a historic saloon keep you fed.
Soak and Stargaze
Just south of town, the high desert opens onto dark skies that rival anywhere in Arizona. The lack of light pollution makes Willcox a fine stargazing stop, and travelers heading toward the Dos Cabezas and Chiricahua ranges pass classic Sky Island scenery. Bring binoculars; you will use them for both birds and stars.
Use Willcox as Your Chiricahua Basecamp
The biggest reason many visitors come to Willcox is what lies beyond it. The monument is about 36 miles southeast on State Route 186, an easy paved drive past Dos Cabezas ghost town. Willcox is the last place to fuel up, grab groceries, and find a hotel or RV park before the monument, which has no services of its own. Stock up here, then spend your days among the hoodoos following our 2-day Chiricahua National Monument hiking itinerary and return for wine and a crane sunset.
How Long to Stay
You can sample the highlights of Willcox in an afternoon, but a full weekend lets you pair town with the trails. A common plan is a half-day of wine tasting and birding, an overnight in town, then a full day hiking Echo Canyon and the Heart of Rocks in the monument. For winter visitors, build the trip around the cranes, which are most active at sunrise and sunset.
Things to Do in Willcox, AZ FAQs
Willcox is known as Arizona's wine country, producing most of the state's wine grapes, and for hosting tens of thousands of wintering sandhill cranes on the Willcox Playa. It is also the gateway town to Chiricahua National Monument.
Chiricahua National Monument is about 36 miles southeast of Willcox via State Route 186, roughly a 45-minute drive. Willcox is the last spot for fuel, groceries, and lodging before the monument.
Sandhill cranes winter near the Willcox Playa from late October through February, with the best viewing at dawn near Cochise Lake. The Wings Over Willcox birding festival is held each January.
