San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, National conservation area in Cochise County, Arizona.

San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area is a federally protected zone along the San Pedro River in southern Arizona, running through dry desert terrain. The river creates a green corridor of cottonwood and willow trees that stands out sharply against the surrounding dry land.

Archaeological sites in the San Pedro Valley record human occupation going back 13,000 years. In 1988 Congressman Jim Kolbe pushed through the designation of the area as a Riparian National Conservation Area, created on November 18, 1988, and entrusted to the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM now works to stabilize and preserve historic structures within it, among them the Fairbank Historic Townsite, the Little Boquillas Ranch and the San Pedro House, a restored 1930s ranch house east of Sierra Vista.

The ruins of Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate, an 18th-century Spanish colonial fort, are still standing inside the area. Stone foundations and adobe walls remain visible, giving visitors a direct sense of what life along this frontier once looked like.

Several marked trails follow the river and cross into the surrounding desert, so it is easy to explore on foot at your own pace. The San Pedro House visitor center is a good starting point for picking up maps and getting oriented before heading out.

The San Pedro River is one of the few rivers in the American Southwest that still flows freely without a dam blocking it. This makes it one of the most important corridors for migratory birds traveling between Mexico and the northern United States.