Dragoon Mountains

The Dragoon Mountains are in Southeast Arizona. With very rugged terrain, the Dragoons provided refuge for the Chiricahua Apaches during the Apache Wars of the 19th century, and offer excellent hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and camping opportunities. The area is managed by the Coronado National Forest; maps and hiking information can be obtained from the Douglas Ranger District office.

They are a range of mountains about 25 mi (40 km) long, running on an axis extending south-south east through Willcox.

Mount Glenn (7,520 ft; 2,290 m) is the highest point in the range. The Little Dragoon Mountains are the continuation of the Dragoon Mountains north of Texas Canyon.

Fossilized horn coral has been discovered on exposed limestone rock. Ancient pictographs and matate dating to AD 1200 exist in the area and are attributed to the Mogollon people. The Apache people resided in this area beginning in the 15th century.

The warrior Cochise and his army defeated a small force of Confederate soldiers here at the First Battle of Dragoon Springs but was defeated at the Second Battle of Dragoon Springs a few days later. Cochise Stronghold Memorial Park lies near Mount Glenn on the eastern slope of the range and the historic town of Tombstone can be found at the southwestern portion of the range. There are also several ghost towns in the Dragoon Mountains including Gleeson and Courtland.

• US Forest Service website
• ☏ +1 520-364-3468 (Douglas Ranger District)

• Western access: turn east off of Hwy 80 onto Middlemarch Rd.
• Eastern access: turn west off of Hwy 191 onto W Ironwood Rd.

• 32.045387-110.0787931 Amerind Foundation, 2100 N Amerind Rd, Dragoon (one mile south of I-10, between Benson and Willcox, in scenic Texas Canyon), ☏ +1 520-586-3666. Tue-Sun 10AM-4PM. A private museum dedicated to the preservation of Native American cultures and histories, with special events and educational programs. $8 adults, children free.  
• 32.060882-110.078742 Texas Canyon, I-10 rest area (between Exits 318 and 322, west of Willcox). Named after pioneer settlers from Texas whose family still operates a nearby ranch, the pass is between the Dragoon Mountains in the south and the Little Dragoon Mountains in the north. The entire area is marked by huge granite boulders which can be easily appreciated from the I-10 rest stop. To explore further, take Exit 318 and turn south and head toward the Amerind Foundation (listed above).  

• Begin in Tombstone on Gleeson Rd, which becomes a graded dirt road. The 31.729892-109.8474113 Gleeson Cemetery will be on your left, a short distance before the townsite. Remains of 31.732502-109.8296054 Gleeson include a saloon, schoolhouse, hospital, and newly restored jail.
• Head north to 31.769478-109.8099235 Courtland on N Gleeson-Pearce Rd, aka Ghost Town Trail, which has just a couple of ruined structures remaining.
• Go further on to 31.905214-109.8211856 Pearce with two structures on the National Register of Historic Places: the Old Pearce General Store and Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church.
• From here continue on Hwy 191 to see Cochise and the historic 32.114494-109.9225727 Cochise Hotel.

• 31.99807-110.022671 Dragoon Springs. This site includes a ruined Butterfield Stagecoach station, and Civil War graves from the First Battle of Dragoon Springs.  
• 31.92995-109.998342 Cochise Stronghold. Apache chief Cochise is believed to be buried in this area. Cochise Trail #279 is a challenging but very scenic 5-mile trail (one-way) beginning on the western side of the range and terminating at Cochise Stronghold Campground.  

• 31.90922-110.032633 Council Rocks. This site, surrounded by giant boulders with pre-Columbian pictographs, is believed to be where the 1872 peace treaty between Chief Cochise and General Howard was negotiated.  

• 31.92645-109.977824 Rock climbing. Rockfellow Dome is one of the most popular locations. Some areas are closed from March through June to protect sensitive raptor-nesting sites. Call the Douglas office at +1 520-364-6800 for a list of routes that are open year-round.  

• 31.92635-109.962561 ^{[dead link]} Cochise Stronghold Retreat, 2126 Windancer Trail (near Pearce), ☏ +1 520-826-4141, toll-free: +1 877-426-4141, fax: +1 520-826-4141, cochisestrongholdretreat@gmail.com. In the Dragoon Mountains, this lodging option has some atmosphere, and its operators seem to be trying to be good citizens of the region, as witness their hosting the website for Cochise Stronghold itself. Makes a good base for hiking and bird-watching.  (updated Feb 2017)
• 31.94637-109.955342 Half Moon Ranch, 1900 W Ironwood Rd, Pearce (E Cochise Stronghold), ☏ +1 877-833-6777. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. Set in a dramatic canyon in the Dragoon Mountains, the seven-room ranch can accommodate up to ten people and six horses. The fully-furnished ranch house has electricity and running water, but guests must bring their own sleeping bags, pillows, and other supplies. Non-smoking, pets permitted. The property is maintained by the US Forest Service, and reservations can be made online. $150/night.  
• 31.92639-109.955563 Shaw House, W Ironwood Rd, Pearce (E Cochise Stronghold), ☏ +1 877-833-6777. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. A historic eight-room stone cabin located in the eastern Dragoon Mountains. The fully-furnished cabin has electricity and running water, but guests must bring their own sleeping bags, pillows, and other supplies. Non-smoking, pets permitted. The property is maintained by the US Forest Service, and reservations can be made online. $150/night.  

• 32.044187-110.0861664 Triangle T Guest Ranch, 4190 Dragoon Rd, Dragoon (take Exit 318 south of I-10, between Benson and Willcox), ☏ +1 520-586-7533, fax: +1 520-586-4476, ttgr@earthlink.net. Historic ranch which offers overnight accommodation (including for RVs and tents), a restaurant, and saloon. The ranch has been used as a filming location for movies, TV shows, and commercials.  

• 31.9441-109.9575 Cochise Stronghold Campground, ☏ +1 520-364-3468. A beautifully-situated campground in the Dragoon Mountains, with camping for tents and trailers. Toilets, no water, no hookups. No reservations required, closed annually from 1 Jun - 1 Sep. $10/night.