Tierra Chamahua EcoAdventures at Rancho Los Baños

Activity/Tour

Rancho Los Baños is a 30,000 acre privately owned nature preserve and working cattle ranch located at the foot of the Sierra Madre, just 60 miles south of the Arizona-Sonora border. The ranch is isolated and secluded, thus having habitats that are pristine and unspoiled, as well as flora and fauna that have been protected for decades. Once here, you will not see a sign of civilization for miles. This land is a wilderness area that, were it located in the United States, would possibly be considered a national park, with comparisons to Zion and Big Bend National Parks having been made by past guests.


Los Baños is located in the middle of an important north-south migratory birding corridor that provides the ranch with a magnificent assortment of bird life throughout the year. The ranch's vegetation makes for an ideal birding hot spot. Our wildlife is also abundant, with coyote, mountain lion, javalina, coues white tailed deer, coatimundi, fox, skunk, and the occasional jaguar and black bear calling the ranch home.


From riverbed, riparian habitats, full of sycamore, walnut, cottonwood and mesquite trees, to boxed canyons, with temperatures and ecosystems more fitting to temperate climates rather than desert habitats, to open desert terrain full of ocotillo, organ pipe cactus, desert palm trees and mesquite, to mid-elevation hills full of lush grass and bush trees, to high elevation mountains full of oak and ponderosa pine, Los Baños offers the avid nature lover a great opportunity to see myriad numbers of diverse species, be it flora or fauna.

Combined with the majestic El Cajon Canyon, Dave's Cajon, El Pinito foothills and El Alamo/El Palmarito river bed system, Lake Angostura (20 miles long and completely isolated) and the spectacular Bavispe River (which unwinds dozens of miles through amazing canyon scenery), this region of northeast Sonora is poised to become a true outdoors mecca.

Rancho Los Baños is ideally situated less than one mile to both the lake and river, with boat, canoe and kayak expeditions available to explore either, or both. We also offer a Bavispe River Trekking Expedition, a 2-3 day trekking adventure that hugs the river and takes us down stunning canyon scenery to the town of San Juan.


With so many diverse habitats, encompassing lake, river, mountain, canyon and riparian ecosystems, avid nature lovers are sure to enjoy their stay. Devoid of human activity, lights, noise, smells and of modern civilization itself, you will fee relaxed and reinvigorated as you see and feel yourself surrounded only by wilderness. At night you will look to the heavens and be amazed at the hundreds of thousands of stars you can see with the naked eye, including the haze of the Milky Way.

Combined with great accommodations and service, Mexican hospitality that is second to none, close proximity to the United States, staying in pristine and isolated land, and a natural scenery that is spectacular to see, Rancho Los Baños, through our tourism branch, Tierra Chamahua EcoAdventures, is sure to make your stay a very enjoyable one.

Send us an inquiry today so we can send you our website address and a link to our collection of photos, videos, descriptions of our activities and a lot more information.

Typical Day

Nature. Adventure. Nature. Adventure. Stunning Scenery. Relax. Rest. Reinvigorate. Reenergize. Nature. Adventure. Stunning Scenery. Great Time.

You might wake up early at the crack of dawn to see and hear the Elegant Trogon. You may decide to hike into El Cajon Canyon, a surreal boxed canyon where there is stunning beauty at every corner. You may hike all the way inside the canyon, seeing a family of coatimundi on the way to 2,000 year old petroglyphs painted on cave walls. You look up at 300 foot tall canyon walls, and you pass through a perpetual tunnel of sycamore and cottonwood leaves as you walk through the river bed.

After a delicious breakfast, as always cooked on an outside oven heated by mesquite coals, you may decide to explore the Bavispe River. On the way there, your guide and you will have a great conversation as you look at the stunning scenery that reminds you of a national park in the US. Once near the river, you hike through an amazing canyon with a tropical feel to it. You get your feet wet as you walk through a warm stream fed by natural spring water. You trek further into the canyon and feel like you have entered something out of Indiana Jones, as the canyon walls narrow to about 12 feet apart, boulders strewn everywhere, the only path through the comfortable water of the stream. Finally you reach the river and get into a canoe for an unforgettable 14 mile journey through stunning canyon scenery.

In the afternoon, after gourmet lunch, you and your guide take a jeep tour through some of the ranch's most beautiful areas. You see scenery that is inspiring, breathe air that is pure and fresh, and all the while you glance at a natural wonder devoid of human activity or footprints. On your way you spot beautiful coues deer and wild javelina as well as a vast assortment of diverse birds.

Once back at base camp, you enjoy a great meal next to a fire, seeing the sky seem as if it is burning in a raging inferno, just as the sun disappears over the horizon. In time you see hundreds of thousands of stars, looking at a haze that you later learn is not a cloud or haze at all, but the Milky Way itself. You discover that this region is perfect for stargazing, and you see that no human lights interfere with your ability to rediscover the stars.

Finally, you pass out, ready to reenergize and do it all again tomorrow. You don't know who got more of a workout, you or your camera. As you fall into dream land, you realize you are staying in a land called the "lost frontier," "the land lost in time," "some of the wildest land you will ever see." In the morning, you decide, you will hike up 7,400 ft tall El Pinito, and you will go on a boat tour of Lake Angostura.

Life could not be better. This adventure vacation is a trip of a lifetime.

Age range, type of group

Nature lovers of all kinds, from ages 16-80. This ranch is ideal for birders (it is a hotspot), wildlife enthusiasts, nature photographers, hikers, mountain bikers, trekkers, backpackers, amateur astronomers, canoers, kayakers, fishermen, petroglyph seekers and adventurers of all kinds and levels. This land is perfect for relaxing, resting and escaping the stresses of modern life. This is an ideal getaway with nature as your only entertainment.

Sleeping and meals

Great natural and organic food, snacks and drinks. Many Mexican dishes as well as American styled food. All meals included in the price. Your choice of bottled water from the US or natural spring water that is 100% pure and delicious. We will gladly cater to the needs of vegetarians and vegans.

Restrictions

No pets. No smoking. This is remote, rugged land. Consideration should be taken if you suffer health related illnesses that would be compromised spending days in pristine and isolated nature. If you feel you cannot go days without the comforts of modern life or are not willing to walk, hike or otherwise sweat a little, consideration should be made whether to be our guest.

There is no telephone reception, Internet or electrical services. We have solar and generator power, natural gas and running hot/cold water. Refrigerators run on natural gas, as do our indoor ovens. Our $200/person/night lodge, however, does have a 40 inch flatscreen TV with DirecTV and DVD.

The over 100 miles of roads inside the ranch are rugged and bumpy, the land is wild and exotic. This is not a resort and not a Dude Ranch. This is not Disneyworld or Six Flags. Here you will never find congestion, overcrowding, lines or annoying tourists. We offer no Hollywood productions or Old West themes. Here, nature is your show, your entertainment.

We restrict our guest capacity to 10-12 at any one time and oftentimes, it might just be you and your fellow adventurers enjoying the ranch and all it has to offer. Our small guest numbers is designed so that we may offer you the best possible service and attention to detail, the best hospitality and the best possible experience.

Rates

Three distinct packages based on the quality of lodging.

$100/person/night

$150/person/night

$200/person/night

All prices include three meals/day, transportation within the ranch, drinks and snacks, as well as Jeep Tours, Mountain Biking, Horseback riding, stargazing, Nighttime Wildlife Safari, hot springs, and Unlimited Use of 30,000 acres of pristine land, which includes your personal English/Spanish speaking guide. Price also includes choice of Tierra Chamahua EcoAdventures tee-shirt or baseball cap. Send us an inquiry for more information and for our website address.

Lake Angostura tours are $80/person (4-5 hour tour)

Bavispe River canoeing and/or kayaking tours are $120/person (8-10 hour tour).

You can purchase a water package (both river and lake) for $160, saving $40.

Our Bavispe River Trekking Expedition, encompassing 2-3 days, is $500 for the entire trip, including meals, guide, transportation, equipment and camping.

Other Information

Roundtrip transportation is provided by Tierra Chamahua EcoAdventures from Tucson, Bisbee or Douglas. Prices are as follows:

Tucson: $50
Bisbee: $40
Douglas: $30

Be sure to check out our additional adventures and activities, such as great bass fishing on the lake and fly-fishing on the river.

Discounts Offered

Contact an Adventure Consultant by phone, inquiry or email for more information or questions. Also, from 10/1/08 through 4/1/09, we are offering a 25% discount on your total lodging price/night/person. (Excludes Fernando Cabin and Tents, transportation and additional adventures not included in the daily rate). Simply call or email us saying you saw this ad on Real Adventures for the discount to apply. Call for group rates and be sure to visit our website. We look forward to having you as our guest. Bienvenidos!