Tumacácori National Historical Park is located in southern Arizona along the Santa Cruz River and it preserves one of the oldest Spanish colonial missions in the United States. Established in the late 1600s, Mission San José de Tumacácori was part of a chain of missions founded by Jesuit missionaries to expand Spanish influence and convert Indigenous peoples. The park has three units spread along the Santa Cruz River.  The Tumacácori unit being the site of an intact structure, visitor center, and associated attractions.

The site reflects a blending of Spanish, Mexican, and O’odham (Tohono O’odham) cultures. The unfinished mission church features carved stone details and traces of interior decoration, while nearby ruins of workshops, residences, and courtyards reveal aspects of daily mission life. Long before Spanish settlement, O’odham communities farmed the fertile river valley, shaping the cultural landscape that the mission later relied upon.

The nearby Santa Cruz River supports a rare desert riparian ecosystem. Cottonwood and willow trees provide habitat for birds such as vermilion flycatchers, yellow warblers, and yellow-billed cuckoos. The river also supports the endangered Gila topminnow, a small native fish adapted to desert waterways. 

To learn more, visit the park's website.