Madera Canyon (English: "Lumber Gorge") is a
canyon in the northwestern face of the
Santa Rita Mountains, twenty-five miles southeast of
Tucson,
Arizona. As part of the
Coronado National Forest, Madera Canyon has campsites, picnic areas, and miles of
hiking trails. The canyon is also used as a resting place for migrating birds, and it is thus known as a premier
birdwatching area. Madera Canyon was originally named
White House Canyon, after a prominent white
adobe house was built there in the late 19th century. The canyon was renamed sometime in the early 1900s, although some locals still use the original name.