Kentucky Camp was built in 1904 as headquarters for the Santa Rita Water and Mining Company. Its investors hoped to collect water from the Santa Rita Mountains for hydraulic gold mining. A unique feature of the site is a group of five adobe buildings. The ten room headquarters building is one of the largest surviving adobe buildings of its era. A gold processing building hints at the original purpose of the site. A three room adobe building is available for overnight rental. The Arizona Trail runs through Kentucky Camp and offers many possibilities for hiking, mountain biking and horse-back riding through the Santa Rita mountain foothills. Friends of Kentucky Camp is a non-profit organization established to help in the preservation and interpretation of the historic site. Friends sponsor volunteer days, coordinate volunteer activities, and conduct preservation projects in cooperation with the Coronado National Forest.
