Canelo Ranger Office
The Canelo Ranger Office is a single story, one bedroom bungalow at the base of the Canelo Hills approximately 15 miles southeast of Sonoita, Arizona. The building, also known as the "Canelo Little House", was constructed in 1932/33 and served as the office of the District Ranger for surrounding National Forest lands, then part of the Huahcuca Ranger District. The facility is located in an oak grassland at approximately 5000' elevation, with generally pleasant year round weather. The building was renovated in 2023 with new bathroom fixtures, kitchen appliances including an electric oven, and heating and cooling system. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins with electric | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | People / vehicles |
|---|---|
| Canelo Ranger Office | 4 / – |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Amenities & rules
| Fees | $125 per night; maximum group size is 4 people. |
The Canelo Ranger Office is a three-room residence, suitable for groups of up to 4 people. The house has one combined living area and bedroom, one bathroom, and an eat-kitchen. The bedroom has a queen-size bed and a double sized futon. The bathroom has an easy-entry shower, sink, and toilet. The dining room is furnished with a table and seating for two. The kitchen is equipped with a stove, oven, microwave, refrigerator, pots, pans, utensils, dishes, and coffeepot. The house has electricity and running water. Outside, a small patio is available. Although the cabin has amenities for comfortable lodging, guests do need to provide some of their own supplies, including food, sleeping bags, linens, pillows, towels, dish soap, matches, a first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Although electricity is available, it is recommended that guests bring an additional light source in case of emergencies. If you plan to build an outdoor fire, please check for fire restrictions in the Coronado National Forest.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
ATTENTION – ROAD ACCESS CHANGES – (4/28/2026). Former access to the Canelo Cabins using Membrillo Lane has changed and restricted public access from crossing private land. A newly constructed public access route has been constructed to access the Canelo Cabins. The new access route is located 0.6 miles to the west of Membrillo Lane on HWY 83.
| Coordinates | 31.5505° N, 110.5160° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- Please note that pets are not allowed inside or outside the cabin.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 20.3 mi |
| RV sales & service | RV sales & service ↗ | 48.3 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Public land it sits in
Las Cienegas begins about 9 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 9 miLas Cienegas ↗National Conservation Lands unit · Bureau of Land Management · 50,557 acres
- 11.5 miMiller Peak Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 20,251 acres
- 13.8 miCoronado National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,785,091 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
Historic landmarks nearby
Natural features
The Canelo Hills are a low mountain range that serve as a connector between the Huachuca Mountains to the east and the Patagonia Mountains to the west, both higher ranges among Southern Arizona's famed "sky islands". The Canelo Hills offer a beautiful backdrop of rolling, rocky terrain punctuated by riparian areas, oak woodlands, and grasslands. The region is considered among the most biodiverse in the country.
Recreation
The two rentable cabins at the Historic Canelo Work Center are a 90 minute drive from the Tucson metropolitan area just south of the Sonoita Plain at the edge of the Canelo Hills. The area is appreciated for its scenery, biodiversity and rural pace. It located between the community of Sonoita and Parker Canyon Lake. The area offers excellent hiking, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, fishing and boating at Parker Canyon lake, and access to nearby vineyards in the Sonoita-Elgin area.
Nearby
There are several attractions nearby on the Coronado National Forest including Parker Canyon Lake, located 13 miles south on Highway 83. The lake has a marina, campground and boat ramp. Just beyond the lake is access to the Arizona National Scenic Trail. The trail can also be accessed near Canelo Pass. To the north, the Sonoita-Elgin area is home to numerous vineyards and tasting rooms.
Guidebooks for Arizona
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- Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New MexicoMike White and Douglas Lorain, 2016Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Canelo Ranger Office?
Sites at Canelo Ranger Office are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
How much does it cost to camp at Canelo Ranger Office?
$125 per night; maximum group size is 4 people.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Canelo Ranger Office?
Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Canelo Ranger Office have?
1 site, including 1 cabin with power.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are there showers or a dump station at Canelo Ranger Office?
The bathroom has an easy-entry shower, sink, and toilet.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Canelo Ranger Office?
The two rentable cabins at the Historic Canelo Work Center are a 90 minute drive from the Tucson metropolitan area just south of the Sonoita Plain at the edge of the Canelo Hills. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What if Canelo Ranger Office is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Rock Bluff Group Site (8.9 mi), Lakeview Campground (9.3 mi, first-come), and Ramsey Vista Campground (15.1 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby