Nogales was given the honor of county seat. The town serves as one of the major gateways between the United States and Mexican. Nogales also has its sister city, south of the border, called Nogales, Sonora.
Santa Cruz County covers 1,245 square miles. Over half of the land is a part of the Coronado National Forest

Many consider this part of Arizona , as the place where it all began. There are several attractions that tell the history of the state. Tubac Presidio State Historic Park is Arizona 's first state park. In 1751, a horrible battle between the Pima Indians and the Spanish led to the construction of the Tubac Presidio. Throughout its history, the presidio has endured difficult times.

Although it has experienced great ones, such as being the town with the first state newspaper, "The Weekly Arizonan." Today, visitors can see what pioneer life was like by walking the presidio's grounds.

Tumacacori National Historic Park is just a couple miles south of Tubac. Tumacacori is a mission built in 1823 and then later abandoned in 1828 by Mexican decree. The mission became a national monument in 1908. A visitor center and a self-guided walking tour are provided at the park. Patagonia State Park stretches 640 acres, with the 265-acre lake as its crowning jewel. It is beautiful spot to soak in nature and to hook some fish. Bass, bluegill and catfish can be found in these waters. There is a campground, picnic area and bird watching available.

Santa Cruz might be a small county, but it is packed full of interesting places to visit.