The Coronado National Forest spans sixteen scattered mountain ranges or "sky islands" rising dramatically from the desert floor, supporting plant communities as biologically diverse as those encountered on a trip from Mexico to Canada.

The Coronado National Forest’s 15 Sky Island mountain ranges offer awesome scenery, diverse vegetation, from deserts to conifer forests, and a wide variety of amenities in the form of visitor centers and campgrounds. Some popular activities are hiking, camping, birdwatching, and visiting historic areas. It also offers mountain bike trails, OHV areas, lakes for fishing and boating, equestrian facilities, and a ski area.